
Class t'^gy 

Book__Alj^{^ 
Copyright A'^ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




PETER NAVARRE 

The famous scout, under (icntral Harrison 



The 

EARLY HISTORY 

OF THE 

MAUMEE VALLEY 



By 
JOHN E. GUNCKEL 




PRESS OF THE HADLEY PRINTING CO. 
TOLEDO, OHIO 
• 1 902 



[THE UIS- 

[ CONGRFSS; 

sep. U 1902 

COPVRraHT ENTRY 

CLASS aXXo No 

cor 



Copyrighted, 1902 

by 

JOHN E. GUNCKEL 



All rights reserved 



to tf)r mrmorp ot t!)f faWtn l^tvotQ of tf)f 
earliest ^trufftylf for tbcir Coimtrp's Jflaff. 
toi)o arc slrrping in unmarKfU ffrabfs in 
ttc SBaumrc Oallrp. 



Illustrations. 



Peter Navarre 

Toledo in 1795 

Toledo in 1902 

Turtle Island and Lig-ht House 

Bay View Park 

Ottokee 

General Anthony Wayne 

Fort Defiance 

Fort Miami 

Fort Deposit 

Roche-de-Boeuf 

Presque Isle Hill and Turkey Foot Rock 

The Maumee Rapids at Turkey Foot Rock 

The Return of Turkey Foot Rock 

The First Logf Cabin - 

General William Henry Harrison 

Governor Return Jonathan Meigs 

Fort Meigs, facing- the River and Maumee city 

Fort Meigs ; the Ravine 

Fort Meigs ; Northerly section 

Fort Meigs ; Rear view 

Fort Meigs ; Harrison Point 

The Burial Ground of Col. Dudley and his men 

Fort Meigs ; The Harrison Well 

'' Old Betsy Crogan " . 

Indian Villiages ..... 

Tecumseh ...... 

Perry's Willow, Put-in-Bay 

The Grave of General Anthony Wayne 

The Maumee Elm .... 



Page. 

Frontispiece 
14 
15 
21 
23 
25 
28 
31 
32 
34 
35 
37 
38 
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44 
47 
52 
54 
55 
58 
59 
62 
63 
64 
69 
73 
77 
83 
87 
88 



Illustrations Concluded. 



Head of the Maumee Rapids 
The Upper Valley 
The Maumee River and Valley 
The Maumee River and Valley 
The Old Maumee Court House 
Traveling: in the 19th Century 
Traveling- in the 20l1i Century 



Pat'o. 

90 
91 
96 
97 
99 
100 
101 



Contents. 



The ]Maumee Valley. Its importanee in the early history of 

the country . 

Hon. D. \V. H. Howard- His knowledge of the Indians, (tov 

ernment agent ........ 

Turtle Island and Light House. Its first occupants. Who 

named after ..... 
Presque Isle ; meeting place of Indians 
Bay View Park; its early history 
The Manhattan District 
Judge Francis L. Nichols ; a pioneer. His interest in the 

district 

The Buffalo Syndicate. Value of land 

Ottokee, Indian chief ....... 

Original owners of the land at the mouth of the river 
Friendliness of the Indians ..... 

Inter-marriage of Ottawas and Pottawatamies 

Advance of the white man 

Hunting and fishing, i'ur trading 

Exchange of muskets, powder, cloth 

Bad whiskey introduced 

vSecret work of the British 

Treaty of UIG vit)lated 

The northwest territory .... 

Depredations of the Indians on the frontier 

Cicneral Arthur St. Clair, inaugurated Governor of the territory 

Indians unite with Canada .....••• 



md novelties for furs 



19 

19 

20 
22 
22 

99 



24 
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26 
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27 
27 
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Contents Continued. 



(icncral llanner ordered to the front. Rejjulars and militia 

Advance throujjfh the forest 

Surprised by the Indians ...... 

A serious defeat ........ 

Indians bolder ........ 

General Washington uneasy ..... 

(jeneral St. Clair called to command the army 

" Beware of a surprise " . . . . . . 

Loss of men in the forest ; suffering's of his men 
Indians again surprise the army .... 

General St. Clair's defeat, and retreat 

Fort Recovery ........ 

The second defeat of the Americans 
Americans aroused to action ; insist upon prt)tcclion from 
Indian invasion ....... 

General Anthony Wayne crdled by "popular consent" 

His army; his marches through the forest 

Arri\es at the Maumee Rapids ..... 

Council Elm, at Grand Rapids ..... 

General Wayne's knowledge of l'%)rt Miami 

Builds Fort Deposit ....... 

Holds council with Lieut- William Henry Harrison 
Rouche-de-Beouf ....... 

The P>attle of l-\illen Timbers 

" Mad" Anthony 

Result of the battle 

Turkey Foot Rock ; its i)ast and present 

Death of Chief Turkev I'^oot ..... 



27 
27 
27 
27 
28 
29 
29 
29 
29 
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29 
29 

29 
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30 
30 
30 
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33 
33 
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30 
3(3 
39 



Contents— Continued. 



The only monument in the valley 
(General Wayne's mareh to the Maumee bay 
He passes Fort Miami, oeoupied by the British 
He builds Fort Industry, now Toledo 
Bloek Houses ; company left in charg-e of the fort 
Alajor Campl)ell, of the Enj^jlish army, demands an explana- 
tion of Wayne's presence in the valley, (reneral Wayne's 
reply ..... 

Wayne retires from the valley . 
He marches to Fort Greenville 
Treaty of Greenville sig-ned 

Peace restored between United States and Indians 
The rapid settlement of the valley. Advance of the white 
man Cultivation of the land- Erection of houses. In- 
crease of emmigfration .... 

General treachery of the Indians 
Prog-ress of Americans arouses England's jealousy 
Secret hand of the British, urging the Indians on 
President Madison ...... 

Indians on the war path ..... 

War declared between United States and England 
General William Henry Harrison in command 
Army rendezvous at Dayton .... 

Regulars and militia. The army advances toward the nortl 
Following' General Wayne's trails through the forest 

Arrival at the JMaumee Rapids 

General Winchester in command of the left wing . 
Fort Winchester built ...... 



Pajre. 

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41 
41 
41 
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42 
4:-! 

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43 



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4G 
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46 
46 
46 



10 



Contents — Continued. 



Depredations at Frenclitown ..... 

American army appealed to for protection 

General Winchester to their rescue 

His march on the ice to the River Raisin 

The siiri)rise, the battle, the surrender of the American 

Treachery of (Teneral Proctor, the British commander 

The massacre of the River Raisin .... 

The site of the massacre ...... 

Thirty-seven American soldiers escaped to the Maumce valley 
General Harrison at the Rapids .... 

He builds I•^)rt Mei^^s ...... 

Peculiarity of the name Return Jonathan Mei}.js 
Governor Return Jonathan Meigfs .... 

Fort Mei!:^s substantially built. Block houses 

Details of the fort 

Arrival of General Proctor and his army 

Tecumseh, and his Indians 

The siege of Fort Meigs. Force engaged. Heavy firing May 

1 , :•? and 5 

General Proctor demands immediate surrender 

Flag of truce ; English officers at the fort 

The interview. Its result. The firing resumed 

General Clay and his brave Kentuckians 

Colonel Dudley in command of the arm_\- on the west sh 

" Order to spike the guns " 

"Indian war-whoop too much for Kentuckians" 

Terrible battle. vSurrender of Colonel Dudley's army 

Massacre of the Americans, in sight of the British Vnvl Miami 



PafTf. 

48 

48 

48 

48 

48 

48 

49 

49 

49 

51 

51 

51 

51 

51 

5;-? 

5S 

5:-5 

5(^) 

5(') 
5(; 
57 
57 
57 

(;o 

GO 

CD 



11 



Contents — Continued. 



General Proctor raises the siege. Retreats to Amherstburg' 
General Proctor returns ; his second failure to capture the fort 
Peter Navarre, the scout ..... 
His journey to Fort Stephenson 

Major Georgfe Crog^an 

Defence of Fort .Stephenson .... 

General Proctor, by water, and Tecumseh, by land, arrives 

at the fort 

Demands immediate surrender .... 

" If you take this fort you will lind nobody left]to surrender it ' 

Killing work of Crogan's cannon 

" Old Betsy Crogan " 

Proctor's hasty retreat. Flight of the Indians 
Major Crogan's famous victory 

Death of Peter Navarre 

Battle of the Thames 

Americans killed in defense of Fort Meigs 

Interments at Fort Meigs ..... 

The "Pittsburgh Blues" . . . - • •. 

The Great Northwest Territory 

Americans sacrificed in the engagements 

Plea for preservation of the forts, battlefields and buria 

grounds ........ 

The Indians of the Maumee Valley • 

Tecumseh, " vShooting .Star," chief of the Shawnees 

Battles engaged in. His history. His death • 

Chiefs Turkey Foot; Baw Beese : Black Hawk 

The last of the Indians taken to their reservations in the fa 

west 



61 
01 
(35 
()5 

67 
67 

(36 
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67 
(38 
68 
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(38 
68 
70 
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72 

74 
76 
79 

81) 

81 



12 



Contents — Concluded. 



Two famous trees • • 

The willow tree, at Put-in-Bay 

Battle of Lake Erie 

The British fleet. Vessels enjjag'ed. The battle. The victory 
Commodore Perry's message to General Harrison ' " We have 

met the enemy and they are ours.'" British surrender 
Perry's message to the Secretary of the Navy 
The graves at Put-in-Bay. '' British and Americans sleej) 

side by side " 

The elm tree at Maumee ....... 

The Indian sharp-shooter. " He could pick off our men at 

the river " 
" We dropped him froni the tree" ..... 

The Maumee \"alley ........ 

Its early history. Present beauty and wealth. Commercia 

center .......... 

Louis de Frontenac ........ 

Father Pere Marquette ; his Christian influence over the 

Indians .......... 

Who discovered the Maumee River? .... 

The Maumee Valley and country ..... 

Its sacred holdings worthy of recognititm, especially from 

the rising generation ........ 



82 
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86 
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89 

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02 
92 
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i:-? 




TOLEDO IN 1795 
Fort Industry as it was when occupied by General Wayne in August, 1794-5. Now the 
easterly corner of Summit and Monroe Streets. 



14 




THE CITY OF TOLEDO IN 1902 



15 



PRE FAC E 



THE tollowinj^- pa^es contain a brief history of the struu'K''l(-\s and 
conflicts for the possession of the Northwest Territory. The 
facts are gleaned from origfinal muster roles, orders, letters, 
manuscripts, and personal interviews with men who were partici- 
pants in the engfag-ements of the battles fougfht along- the lines of the 
early frontier, and which finally centered in the Maumee X'alley, and 
on Lake ICrie. Through these successful conllicls tlic American 
people g-ained all the territory now comprising- the g:reat states of 
Ohio, Indiana, Michigfan, Illinois, Wisconsin and .Minnesota. The 
brave men who sacrificed their lives were volunteers from Pennsyl- 
vania, Virg-inia, Kentucky and Ohio. And to the present gfeneration 
it should be a matter of the very g^reatest importance the preserva- 
tion of the forts, the battle fields, and the burial g^rounds of the sev- 
eral thousand men who were killed and buried on the banks of the 
Maumee river, and whose g-raves to-day are unmarked, and in a few 
years more will be almost forg-otten and unknown. 

While the compilation does not tell the whole story of the early 
history of this valley, it is sufficiently complete to convey to the 
minds of all, the incidents, the perils and struggles of pioneer life 
which tile intrepid leaders and llieir courageous followers had to 
contend. We believe the facts, connecting- the defence of the north- 
west frontier, are interesting^ and in wliic-h the American people 
should take pride, and the details of which cannot be too often told 
to the youngfer generations. 



The Early History of the Maumee Valley. 

N< ) series of events in the entire history of this country are more 
interesting- or form a strong-er link in the successful strug-gles 
for national independence than lliose connected with the early 
history of the Maumee X'allcy. It is surprising- that in the many 
histories of the United States no prominence is given to the cam- 
paigns that gave to xVmerica the empire of the Northwest. Less 
than one hundred years ago Northwestern Ohio was a dense forest. 
It is always interesting to learn who occui:)icd the land in and about 
any paticular section of the country long before the white man 
pushed his way into the unknown forest and wilds of the west. Par- 
ticularly is this interesting if the information comes directly from 
men whose knowledge of the Indians dates prior to personal experi- 
ences, and when it is obtained from chiefs of many tribes, and 
especially from aged Sachems who gave to some of our earlier 
settlers the history of their ancestors. And later from the writings 
of those brave men who fought in the Indian frontier wars. And 
still later from official rej^orts approving the many incidental facts. 
To the late Hon. 1). W. II. Iloward we are indebted for the 
man_\- links of facts connecting the unwritten history of this famous 
valle\'. There has been no person in the Mruunee \'alley whose 
life's exi:)erience has been so closel\- in touch wilh its earlx' history 
as Mr. Howard. To the i:)ioneers of ()hio and Michigan no man's 
face has been more familiar, no voice better known, no name niore 
frequently spoken. For nearly a century he li\ed in the \alley, from 
infancy to death. He saw the Mauniee X'alley grow from a wilder- 
ness, inhabited almost entireh- b\- the Indians, until it became the 



19 



abode of hundreds of thousands of enterprising people. He was per- 
sonally acquainted with all of the chiefs of the tribes of Indians who 
made this v;dley their campino- urounds. He was faniilar with their 
traditions, and naturally sympathized with them in their sorrows; 
and hnally, as g^overnment representative, accompanied them, the 
last of the red men in the valley as tribes or part of tribes, to their 
reservation toward the setting^ sun. 

The Autumn leaves of 1897 covered no grave the occupant of 
which holds a closer and dearer memory in the hearts of his country- 
men than does D. W. H. Howard. 

In this valley, as well as in other lands it has always been the 
custom of the American Indians to select for their camping- grounds 
the most commanding and beautiful portions of the country. From 
Turtle Light, around whose base the clear waters of Lake Erie play 
at will, to the junction of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers, at Fort 
Defiance, a distance of some seventy miles, there is scarcely a tract 
of land bordering these romantic rivers but has been the camping 
and hunting grounds of the most intelligent tribes of Indians. 

Turtle Light was Iniilt in 1831, on a natural island. It was re- 
built in 1807. Prior to 1831 the island was the home of sea gulls, and 
was annually visited by the Indians, ''Who secured the hundreds of 
dozens of eggs in season." Turtle Light was named after the Indian 
chief. Little Turtle, whose wigwam was U)cated "under the elms 
on Presque Isle." Tliis chief, it is so recorded in many official 
reports, was the i^erson who laid tlie plans and so successfully de- 
feated Generals Harmcr and vSt. Clair in the early frontier cam- 
paigns. He was one of the chiefs who signed the agreement at Vnvi 
Greenville. Of him, General Glay wrote, "he was a brave, dignified 
warrior with a touch of human sympathy for wounded soldiers. He 
proved himself to be true to his promises and was granted special 



20 




TURTLE ISLAND AND LIGHT HOUSE Lake Erie 



21 



favors and i:)ri\' ilexes from tlic ^iovernnient. lie was ^ifivcn a white 
man's burial at I'^l. \\'a\ne after the war of 1812." Presque Isle, one 
of the most beautiful natural wocxled spots rdonj^f the lake shore was 
for nian\- years the meeting' place of visiting' tribes of Indians who 
came from Michio-an, and as far east as Xiaffara Falls. Throuj^h the 
friendly disposition of the chief Little Turtle this place was the 
rendezvous of Indians who started on their semi-annual hunting- 
tours throusfh the dense forests of the valley, the low land and 
marshes of the surrounding- country. 

At the mouth of the Maumee river, and extending- into the bay, 
and nearly opposite Presque Isle, is Bay View Park. It is the site 
selected by the city of Toledo, and approved by the vState Commis- 
sion for the Ohio Centennial and Northw^est Territory Exposition, 
which was to be held in 1903, "to fitly commemorate the deeds par- 
ticipated in 1)3' the state and its citizens during' the first century of 
its existence, and representing- the immense growth and develop- 
ment of the Great Northw^est Territory." 

Bay View Park with its 250 acres of beautiful landscape, and its 
long- line of bay and river frontag'e, with one of the linest and most 
complete harbors on fresh water, cost the city of Toledo some 
$350,000.00. By virtue of its location it is destined to be one of the 
social centers of the valley. There should be a monument erected 
on the park, at the entrance of this historic river, in full \iew of the 
lake and every passing' vessel, in commemoration of the fallen hert)es 
who are sleeping- along' the shores; who, in their life time, achieved 
honor, fame, and by their patriotism and 1)i-a\-ery gained an emi:)ire. 

All the territory around P)a\' \'iew Park has been known for 
many years as the Manhattan district. No man lixingis more fami- 
liar W'ith the early history of this ])orlion of the valley than .ludg'e 
Francis L. Nichols, now in his !>7th year of age. He came here when 



22 




BAY VIEW PARK 
The meeiing grounds of rhe Indian tribes In the early days. 



2;-5 



the Indians controlled the country, and tlic remnants of the tribes on 
the west side of the river were under the char^fc of the gfreat chief 
Oltokee. Judu'e Nichols ate from the same table witli this chief and 
liis two wives, and the continual feast of all kinds of j^'ame lin^'ers 
fresh in his memory. He saw the famous orator, the chief W'auseon, 
tog^ether with several hundred other Indians buried on the hi^h 
j^rounds of Bay \^iew Park. He saw the last remnants of the tribes, 
includini^- his friend Ottokee, taken to their reservation farther west. 
In 1(Sj?(3 a syndicate formed by Buffalo capitalists purchased 
about (SCO acres of land, coverinj^ Bay View Park, payin}>' for the 
same $15.00 per acre. He saw this land gradually increase in value, 
the town of Toledo rapidly becoming" one of the most thriving cities 
of the lakes, and sold some of the land f(U- $3,500.00 per acre. Judge 
Nichols is now old in years, but has the vitality of a man of forty; 
active mind, splendid memory, particularly of his early days, and 
lives in a beautiful home facing the peaceful river, surrounded by 
relatives, friends, books, pictures, everything that makes a perfect 
home to his liking. His greatest delight is looking out over the river 
watching the rapid progress of civilization, enjoying the realization 
of his early predictions that this valley would i:)roduce a city of 
great social and commercial importance. As a large, heavily- 
ladened vessel was slowly steaming out the harbor, he said; "What 
changes in lifty years. To-day the river and Ijay is filled with 
vessels of all kinds, carrying to and fro the great products of the 
grandest country on earth. \'oung man, you will never know how to 
appreciate the work of the early settlers of this valley. The 
soldiers and jjioneurs who are resting in their last slec]) along the 
banks of the Maumee., you owe to their memory monuments that 
should reach the clouds. Ohio and the entire country should he 
proud of the Maumee Valley." 



24 




OTTOKEE 

The chief who opposed war, was friendly to ihe whites, and the last to leave the 

valley. He was the original owner of the land at the mouth of 

the river, known as the Manhattan District. 



25 



The chiefs, Little Turtle and Ottokee, representing: the vShawnee, 
Ottawa and Wyandotte nations, "by ancestral ri^^ht" claimed all 
the land below the ra])ids, includinj^- the mouth of the river, vir- 
tually controllin;^' the fishin;^ and hunting' grounds of the \-alley, 
Owino- to their friendly (lisi)ositi()n other tribes frequently visited 
them. The Pottawatomies, who lived on the banks of the River 
Raisin, in Michigan, were annual visitors, who came for the pur- 
pose of huntino;- the deer, turkey and other o;ame. The squaws 
and younu' uien remaining' at Presque Isle and Bay View Park 
while the braves went hunting-. As a natural result of these 
visits the Ottawas inter-married with the Pottawatomies. "The 
friendship of these two tribes continued until the land was occupied 
wholly by the whites, and the two tribes were taken together to 
their new homes." 

The slow advancement of the white man, and the gradual occu- 
pation of the hunting and fishing- grounds, soon aroused a feeling- of 
jealousy and a desire to drive these intruders from the valley, and 
this invasion had a telling effect upon the peaceful Ottawas. Prior 
to this there existed a very friendly feeling between the whites and 
the Indians inhabiting the bay shore, to such an extent that muskets, 
powder, bullets, clothing and other articles, were exchanged for furs. 
In time, bows, arrows, clubs and war axes were replaced by 
modern weapons. Hid whiskey also was introduced, and was the 
cause of many disturbances among the savages; in fact, it was one 
of the great evils which ojiened the gap of bitter hatred between the 
whites and the Indians. Whiskey, unfair dealing and the raiudly 
increasing white population on the frontier, together with the secret 
hand of the British, who occujiied C\ana(la, instigating the chicts, 
resulted in starting the Indians in their bloody warfare against the 
frontiersmen, which soon was followed by war. 

The treaties following the war of 1776, gave to the I'nitcd vStates 



26 



five great vStates, Ohio, ^Michij^ran, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin^ 
which comprised the original Northwest Territory. 

On July 15th, 1788, General Arthur St. Olair was inaugurated as 
governor of this territory. 'Flic Indians of the lake being in close 
and friendly relationship with Canada and ICngland, and seeing the 
rapid advance made by the Americans in the newly acquired terri- 
tory, formed a secret alliance with the chiefs, with the sole i)urpose 
of driving back the advancement of the whites along the frontier. 

The depredations and terrible murders committed by the Indians 
soon aroused the Americans and it was necessary to protect the 
lives of the people inhabiting the territory along the Ohio line. For 
this protection a small body of regulars, men who served m 7(>, 
enlisted and were placed under command of iJrigadier-Oeneral llar- 
mer, with orders to march against the Indians and, "Inflict such 
punishment as would prevent future depredations." 

On September 30th, 1790, General Harmer, with 450 regulars, 
started for Fort Washington (now Cincinnati) to execute the plans 
of President Washington. He was reinforced in Southern Ohio by 
one thousand militia; men from Ohio and Kentucky. The Indi;ins 
being advised of this movement concentrated their forces in \\ csUrn 
Ohio, along the rivers. General Harmer met with but little resist- 
ance in his diHicult march through the dense forest until lie arrived 
at what is now known as Fort Wayne, where, on October 22nd, 17!»<), 
he was surprised by an overwhelming number and met a most dis- 
astrous defeat. The Indians in this engagement were commanded 
by Blue Jacket and Little Turtle, with about SJHIO warriors. Presi- 
dent Washington exi)resscd himself as being greatly distressed at 
General Harmer's misfortune. The Indians became bolder in their 
depredations, and many murders were committed, which have often 
been repeated in the various histories of Ohio. General \\ ashing- 



27 




GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE 

The hero of The Battle of Fallen Timbers. Born in Chester County, Penna., January 1, 1745. 

Died at Presque Isle, ( Er'e,) Penna., December 15, 1796. 



28 



ton, for the second time, ex])resse(l himself as bein^r "determined 
that these murden)us Indians must l)e driven away from the settle- 
ments and back of the frontier lines as delined by treaties/' He 
according-ly designated General St. Clair to take command, "and 
forever surpress the Indian invasions." The parting: words of Gen. 
eral Harmer were: "Beware of a surprise." On vSeptember 17th» 
1791, with an army of 2,000 re<j:ulars and 1,000 militia, (leneral St- 
Clair marched from Fort Washington to, and erected lM)rt Ham- 
ilton, on the Great Miami. This was the lirst of the line of forts 
extended to Lake Erie. 

"On October 12th, he constructed Fort Jefferson. On Novem- 
ber 4th the army reached the Wabash river, where it was met by the 
ct)mbined In<lian forces, under command of the chiefs, Tecumseh, 
Little Turtle, Turkey Foot and Blue Jacket, who were closely 
watching- and concentrating their forces in advance of General St. 
Clair. He did not expect to meet any great force until he arrived 
at the Maumee Rapids, but so completely was he taken by surprise 
that his men became bewildered and lost control of their senses." 

They were surprised by an overwhelming force of savages at 
what is now called Fort Recovery; he met a most unfortunate defeat. 
ICvery officer and more than two-thirds of the men engaged were 
killed and wounded. The official report showing 550 killed and 200 
wounded, the remainder scattered in the forest. 

This was the second defeat of the Aniericans in one year. 

Ohio settlements were now in greater danger than ever. The 
Indians becoming more ventursome and came nearer the settle- 
ments. The people in the east, in adjoining states, became alarmed. 

l-'inally, by iiojndar consent, General Anthony Wayne, of Penn- 
sylvania, the daring hero of the Revolution, was selected by Presi- 
dent (ieorge Washington, "To protect the frontier and put down 
these Indian attacks." 



29 



In June, 1792, Oeneral Wayne, with a thoroughly disciplined 
army, proceeded to Pittsburgh and lloated on "hugely built rafts 
down the Ohio river to Cincinnati. The new arm\-, when assem- 
bled at I'ort (jrecnville, in the fall, comprised rd)out ],9()() reg'ulars 
and l,5()i) mounted x'olunteers from Kentucky/' In the si:)ring' of 1794, 
General Wayne started with his little army toward the Maumee Val- 
ley. Stopping- at the junction of the Maumee and Augflaize rivers, 
"we pitched our tents on a most beautiful ]5oint, and orders were 
g;iven to at once build a fort, and one that would defy the enemy. This 
fort was named Fort Defiance. All during' our marches throug'h the 
forest, at no time were we in 'd position to be taken by surprise by the 
Indians. We kei)t them in advance all the time. Each stop we made, 
every camp, was well guarded b_\- day and night.'" (".eneral Wayne 
followed the Maumee river down to the "(ireat Rapids,'' now (irand 
Rapids, one of the most beautiful and picturesque villag^es in Ohio; 
at this point, the army crossed the river, and "under a larofe spread- 
ing" elm tree a council was held, where a last atten^ipt was made by 
General Wayne to bring; peace; but the chiefs, Little I'urtle, Turkey 
Foot, Blue Jacket and Black Hoof, representing seven Indian nations, 
absolutely refused. This was on August 18th. How far we could 
drive the Indians toward the lake we could not tell, for we sus- 
picioned that the ICnglish were behind them well esta1)lished in 
some fort or secreted in some ravine waiting an op])ortunity to 
take us by surj^rise, but sad experiences taught us a lesson. The 
council held under the elm resulted in orders being given to take 
our time in following the river bank, and keejiing a steady lookout 
for trouble." 

General W;iyne knew that Fort Miami was occupied by the 
I>ritish. This fort, now in good couibtion, is on the western bank of 
the river, about seven miles from Toledo. It was established in 
1G80 by an expedition sent there by Louis de Frontenac, the French 



30 




FORT DEFIANCC 
Block Houses as they were in the early days. 



:n 



governor of Canada. In 1774 it was a military post. For a lon^ time 
it was abandoned. In 17'.>4 it was occupied by the British as a 
military post, and held as such until (General Wayne defeated the 
Indian allies under the chiefs Turkey Foot, Little Turtle and P^lue 
Jacket, in the battle of T^allen Timbers. 

This fort was evacuated by the British ofarrison July 11th, 1795. 




FORT MIAMI 
Facing the Maumee River. 



32 



The Battle of Fallen Timbers. 

Leaviiii^: a sufficient h)rce of men tt) o-uanl ammunition and pro- 
visions at Fort Defiance, and forcinj,'- the Indians to slowly retreat 
before his steady march, down the Maumee river, (reneral Wayne 
carefully followed the river bank until arriving- at a point a short 
distance above the present site of the village of Waterville, where 
he deposited all his superfluous ba8:g:a8:e, erecting- a fort, calling it 
Fort Deposit. vSatisiied that the enemy were in advance and ])reixar- 
ing: for a figfht, on Aug-ust 19th he held a council of war, "At the bluff, 
to the left of the rock known as Roche de Boeuf. A ])lan of march and 
battle was submitted to Lieutenant William Henry Harrison. This 
officer was then but 21 years of age, and the military judgment of the 
subaltern manifested itself as g-eneral-in-chief nineteen years after- 
wards, at Fort Aleigfs. Lieutenant Harrison's plan was adopted." 

On the morning of August the 20th, (General Wayne slowly 
advanced down the river. "His cavalry following- the rocky shores, 
while his main army marched irregularly througli the forest, driving 
the scouting Indians deeper into the woods, until they hnally took a 
stand selected by the chief, Turkey Foot, as their battle ground." 
This was chosen on account of a recent hurricane wliich felled the 
forest trees, making, what the Indians thought, an almost impass- 
ible barrier against any force that the Americans could bring 
against them. It was the natural fortihcation for Indians. Picket 
tiring had ceased. The whites and Indians were face to face. 
Without a moments hesitation, and to tlie terrible surprise of the 
Indians. General Wa\-ne came down ui)on them like the rush of a 
mighty wind, a second hurricane. The soldiers showed the fierv 



33 




FORT DEPOSIT 

Where General Wayne deposited his surplus baggag3 before the battle of Fallen Timbers. 



34 




ROCHE-DEBOEUF Standing Rock 

Where General Wayne and Lieutenant Harrison held the council before 

the battle of Fallen Timbers. 



35 



and irresistible couniofe and darin^fof their commander. The battle 
was short and destructive to the Indians. It was so fierce that it 
forever frij^ihtened the Indians from undertaking^" to lij4ht the Amer- 
icans alone, without the su]:)i)ort of tlie British. 

It is of j^'reat interest to note a portion of General \Vayne\s 
official report of this famous battle. '' vSava^es were formed in 
three lines within supportin^^' distance of each other, and extended 
for two miles at rijjfht anj:^les with the river. The ""round beinu' cov- 
ered with fallen timbers made it impracticable for our cavalry to act 
with effect, and afforded the enemy the most favorable covert for 
their mode of warfare. I found it necessary to come down upon the 
Indians with all my force, and with a rush. No Indian can stand in 
front of a bayonet. The battle was short, but fierce. The Indians 
were driven in great confusion for two miles down the river. One 
of the Canadians, taken prisoner in the action, estimated the force of 
the Indians at 1,400. He also stated that about 70 Canadians were 
with them, and that Colonel McKee, Captain hvlliott and .Simon 
(lirty were in the field. Americans lost 33 killed and 100 wounded." 

This eng"a5^ement settled all savage warfare in the Northwest. 
The work of (xeneral Wayne, at this battle, gave him the surname, 
by all the Indians in the valley, of " Che-no-tin, or the Whirlwind." 
Several months after the iJattle of I'^allen Timbers, a number of 
Pottawatomie Indians arrived at Furl Wayne, where they expressed 
a desire to see " The Wind," as they called Crcnerrd Wayne. When 
asked for an explanation of the name they re])lied tliat, " at the bat- 
tle he was exactly like a hurricane which dri\'es and tears every- 
thing before it." 

To-day this famous battle ground is marked by a large boulder, 
familiarly known throughout the valley as "Turkey Foot Rock." 

It gained its name from the following true incitlent. 



3G 




PRESOUE ISLE HILL AND TURKEY FOOT ROCK. 
The scene of the battle of Fallen Timbers. 



37 




IHE MAUMEE RAPIDS, At Turkey Foot Rock, Sulphur Spring. 



38 



Upon this rock ihc Indian chief, Turkey Foot, stood diirinjj: the 
thickest of the fig:ht, and while waving his tomahawk over his head, 
tryint,^ to encouraj^e his warriors, lie was shot and killed, tallin}^' 
upon the rock. After the battle he was ])uried near the rock, "a 
few feet from where he fell." 

The rock is about six feet lonjr, three feet wide, and about four 
feet hio-h, weighing-, perhajxs, three tons. I'pon its surface are dis- 
tinct tracks of turkey feet, rudely carved by Indians with their 
tomahawks. No Indian ever approached the rock without placing 
upon it a piece of tobacco. 

The late Hon. I). W. H. Howard wrcjte: "In single hie they 
passed it without halting, or uttering a word. Each in silence and 
sorrow placing his tribute there. This was done until the last wig- 
wam was torn down, and I took the Indians to the government reser- 
vation in the far west." 

Recently greater fame has been added to the rock. In the im- 
provement of the county road, near where the rock rested, it was 
found necessary to remove this monument of the Battle of Fallen 
Timbers. The impression gained credence that the people of the 
rapids and the township, did not appreciate the real worth of their 
prize, and that the rock was to be destroyed. This aroused the 
sleeping patriotism of the good people of Toledo, and without con- 
sulting any one, quietly took possession of the rock, removing it to 
the city. When this was made known to the citizens of Maumee 
and Perrysburg all the i^ent up patriotism of the pioneers, followed 
by the like love of country by the rising generation, burst forth on 
the line of "Mad" Anthony's charge. The monument which had 
rested for (n-er a century, on the banks of the Maumee, and which 
represented the most thrilling and interesting history that ever 
recited the progress of a people, mysteriously disapjicared. 



39 




THE RETURN OF TURKEY FOOT ROCK 
Reception and jollification of the citizens of Maiiniee and the valley. 



40 



When those who were interested in its removal were satisfied 
that it would be taken care of and preserved, it was returned. 

The return of the stone was received by the citizens of the val- 
ley, at Mauniee, with an ovation seldom eeiualled in the historic 
village. It was escorted to its original restinjj place, where it now 
is, being- the only memorial commemorating General Wayne's great 
victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. 

In the Battle of Fallen Timbers there were no Pjritish soldiers 
engaged, and yet it was fought almost wholly under the British 
guns at Fort Miami, and when the Indians retreated they passed 
directly under the guns of the British fort, which remained silent. 

The defeat of the Indians of the Maumee valley broke the spirit 
of the tribes. 

After completely routing the Indians, General Wayne followed 
them down the river, passed the silent Fort Miami, where, upon a 
high bank, overlooking the river and the low lands, he rai)idly con- 
structed a military fort, on August 23rd, 17lt4, and this was built so 
expeditiously that he called it Fort Industry. This fort, or Pdock 
Houses, as it was familiarly known. General Wayne left in charge 
of a small but efficient force by which it continued to be occupied 
for several years. The dimensions of the fort were about 200 by 
250 feet. It w;is at this tort, in after years, where the Indians, 
through their several chiefs, made the lirst overtures of permanent 
peace, and e.xpressed regret at their "misunderstanding the motives 
of the white men in occui)ying territory they believed the Great 
Spirit had given them for their exclusive use." 

Fort Industry is on the easterly corner of Summit and Monroe 
streets; the site is now occupied by a substantial building, and 
known as Fort Industry Block. It is in the heart of the business 
portion of the city of Toledo. 



41 



On AiU4-iist 21st, 1794, while ("leneral Wayne was restmg" a few 
miles below Mauniee, and alon;^' a ravine near T'ort Miami, he had 
occasion to send an unotlieial messa<j:e to the British commander, 
ISIajor Campbell, at i<^)rt Miami, reminding- that officer that the 
British held this post in viohition of the treaty of peace of 1783. In 
reply Major Campbell addressed the following' note to Cicneral 
Wayne ; 

''An army of the Ignited vStates of America, said to be under 
your command, having" taken post on the banks of the Miami (Mau- 
mee), for upwards of twenty-four hours, almost within reach of the 
guns of this fort, being a post belongfing- to His ^Majesty, the King- 
of Great Britain, occupied by His Majesty's troops, it becomes 
my duty to inform myself as speedily as possible in what light I am 
to view your making such near approaches to this garrison. I have 
no hesitation on my part to say that I know of no war existing 
between Great Britain and xAmerica.'' 

To this General Wayne replied: 

"Without (juestioning the authority or propriety, sir, of your 
interrogation, I think I may, without l)reach of decorum, observe 
to you, were you entitled to an answer, the most full and satisfac- 
tory one was announced to you from the muzzles of my small arms 
yesterday morning in the active engagement against the horde of 
savages in the vicinity of your post, which terminated gloriously to 
the American arms, but had it continued until the Indians were 
driven under the influence of the post you mention, the\' would not 
have much impeded the progress of the victorious army under my 
command, and no such fort was established at the commencement 
of the present war between the Indians and the United States." 

Major Campbell replied, the next day with the statement, that he 
had forel)orne to resent the insidts which had been offered to the 
British ilag flying at the fort. 



42 



"P)Ut/' he concliulcd "should you, after tliis, continue to 
approach my post in the threatening: manner that you are at 
this moment doin^, my indispensa])le (hily t<. my Kinu- and coun- 
try will oblit^e me to recourse to those measures which thousands of 
either nation may hereafter have cause to rekTet." 

After this communication was received C'.eneral Wayne and 
staff reconnoitered lM)rt Miami in every direction. It was found to 
be a stronj,'- fort, the front covered by the Maumee and protected by 
four ^,nms. The rear had two re^jular bastions furnished with ei-ht 
pieces of artillery, the whole surrounded by a wide ditch, about 2S 
feet deep from the top of the parapet. It was supposed to have been 
g-arrisoned by 450 soldiers. 

Cieneral Wayne then sent a note to Major C'ampbell stating", in 
effect, that the P^ritish crovernment had no rij^-ht to occupy the terri- 
tory and demanded an immediate evacuation of the fort. 

To this no reply was received. 

Recoj^ni/int,^ the strenufth of the position that he had occupied, 
General Wayne withdrew his army to Fort Deposit, satisfied with 
the results of his camj^aij^n, havin^Jf accomplished rdl the Govern- 
ment required of him. On Au^nist 27th, 1794, he started with his 
main army for Fort Defiance and remained there for several weeks. 
On September 5th he returned to Cincinnati. During- the Winter 
and vSprinif of 171t5, General Wayne and his staff spent most of their 
time in holdinj^ councils with leading chiefs of the tribes en^'-a^^ed in 
the Battle of Fallen Timbers; the result of these, "smokes of pipes 
of peace,'' was c<.ncludcd at l"(-rl Grccuxillc ^n Au-ust ;-!rd, 17'.b, 
where a treaty was signed by all interested i)arties. 

This restored peace and tranciuility <>n the Northwest frontier. 
A more friendly relationshi)) existed between the Indians and the 
advancing'- white men which resulted in the establishment ..t many 



43 



trading: posts alonjr the frontier, the biiildino: of roads, the erection 
of log- cabins, the clearing of timber, jilanting of corn and other pro- 
ducts. 




1. 



fL ' ' 






1 4 



THH FIRST LOG CABIN 
Built in the Maiimee Valley, near Fort Miami, 



44 



Incidents Which Led to the War of 1812 and 1813. 

Ohio was admitted into the L'nion in 1^03, the first State earved 
out of the Great Northwest Territory. The people from the I':astern 
vStates naturally looked to Ohio for new settlements. The country 
had been rei:)orted, " rich in land, heavily timbered, l)eauliful rivers, 
and the woods full of Siim<-^-" Immij^ration beuan to pour into the 
vState. " The larg-e covered wajjfons from Pennsylvania were dotted 
here and there throughout the valleys, and civilization bc^an m 
earnest in this new world." 

England saw this rapid advancement and occupation of the land 
along the frontier, and her dissatisfaction showed itself by ihe sud- 
den appearance of ships on the lakes, and an army centered at the 
head of Lake l-:rie. The British were not slow in forming an alli- 
ance with the many tribes of Indians, and urged them on to commit 
the terrible depredations throughout Ohio and adjoining territory. 
Bolder and bolder they became, carrying their murderous warfare as 
far south as the Ohio River. 

The British— "threw a barrier across the Northwest, and, 
through the Indians warned the Americans that all the territory 
occupied by them would soon become English property." 

The entire country was aroused. 

A re(iuisiti.)n was made by President James Madison ui)on Gov- 
ernor Meigs, of ( )hio, for 1,'J()() militia. The Major (ienerals of the 
Western and Middle Divisions received orders to rendevi)us at 

Dayton. 

On .lune 2<;th, 1812, the Tniled States declared war against 

England. 



45 



On account of — "Commercial dilTcrcnccs between (ireat IJritaln 
and the I'nitcd States." 

( )n September ITlb, bSl'i, (icneral William Henry Harrison, 
then at Picjua, Ohio, was made Commander-in-Chief of the North- 
western army. Ceneral Harrison was a native of Virgfinia, and at 
the time of his ai^pointment was 'M) years old. His army consisted 
of rej^ular troops, ranjjfers, volunteers and militia from ()hio and 
Kentucky and detached militia and volunteers from Virginia and 
Pennsylvania. His orders were — " To j4'o to Detroit, followinj^ the 
northerly direction trail, via l"^jrt Wayne and Fort Defiance. The 
latter i:)lace to join Ceneral James Winchester, commanding' the 
arm\- of the frontier." 

At Da\-ton and Fort (jreenville, subject to call of Ceneral Har- 
rison, there were about 2,000 able bodied men, regulars and 
volunteers. I'nder command of (rcneral Winchester, stationed at 
r^ort Wayne and Fort Defiance, there were 2,700 men. (Jut of this 
army, of nearly 5,000 men, there were to be divided at the various 
established forts and posts a sufficient force at each to protect the 
storage of ammunition and i)rovisions, and to guard the settlements 
from marauding bands of savages. 

When (icneral Harrison took ]:)ers()nal command of the Xoi-th- 
west army, at the Maumee Rapids, he had about 2,;-?00 men. 

I'^ort Defiance, as built by General W\ayne in 1704, was in ruins, 
and it was necessary to erect another fort. This was done, and 
completed on October 15th, 1(S12, and named I-'ort Winchester by 
(reneral Harrison. It was built along the higher and precipitous 
west bank of the Auglaize river, an important tributary to the Mau- 
mee, a line of ai)i)le trees, built In' the early P^'cnch settlers, alone 
intervening. It was about eiglity yards south of the ruins of l*"ort 
Defiance, and extended about 000 feet, on the highest ground. 

Creneral Winchester was placed in command of the left wing of 
the army. 



46 




GENERAL 'OC'ILLIAM HENRY HARRISf)N 
Ninth President of the United States. Born at Berkley, Virginia, Kthriiiiry 9, 1' 
Died at Washington, D. C, April 4, 1841. 



47 



Battle of the River Raisin. 

It was not the intention of toiichinjjf upon the movements of 
Oeneral Winchester's army, but the conflict and terrible disaster 
wliicli followed him at I'renchtown (now Monroe, Michitjfan,) is too 
interestinjjf and too important not to jjfive a short report. 

The British and Indians, at Frenchtown, and the immediate ter- 
ritory, were committinjjf such horrible depredations amonjjf the few 
scattered settlers alon^' the River Raisin, that word was sent to 
(General Winchester implorin;^' protection. He was tpiick to act, 
and on January l!)lh, IJSK-5, with about 900 men, he marched down the 
Maumee and alon^^ the lake shore, frequently upon the ice, crossing: 
the main land and arrivinj^' at a point " where we found an openingf 
in the forest, at the edj^e of the settlement," at sundown. 

General Winchester divided his little army into two divisions, 
the main, under himself, camping on the north side of the river, and 
the other, under Colonel Lewis, on the south l)ank, the latter with 
200 men. 

General Winchester committed the folly of encampingf in open 
gfround, nejjflectinj^ the precaution of erecting^ earthworks. At day- 
break, on January 22nd, his army, of about 700 men, were aroused 
by the dischar^-c of jjfrai^e shot, from a I5ritish battery, erected 
within !^00 feet on the noi^lh side of the camp, and the yells 
of the Indians, who had sui-roundcd them on all sides. JJie 
result was inevitable. The battle was short but terrible. General 
Winchester was taken ])risoner. The two hundred men, under 
Colonel Lewis, were stationed behind i)ickets and defended 
themselves with rescjlution. General Henry A. Proctor, who 



4(S 



was in command <>l' llic I'.iilisli, rcpiX'Scnlcd to (icncral Win- 
chester that, if lie desired to save tlie lives of the men siin-en- 
(lercd under his c-ommand, now about 450, fn.m bein^- massacred by 
the Indians, lie could do so b>- ordeian;^ the immediate surrender of 
Colonel Lewis' command, deneral Winchester, intlucnced b\- these 
rei)resentations, sent a lla^' of truce across the river, orderin-^- the 
reniainder of the trooi)s to surrender. The enemy beiny' vastly 
superior in numbers, and ammunition of the Americans nearly 
expended, they surrendered, on condition of bein^- i)r()tccted trom 
any indiyfnities l)y the Indians. Proctor agreed to these terms, 
but the catastroi)he which followed is hoi-i-ibic to rcdate. With a 
few exceptions the miserable ca])tives were massacred by llie 
savaf^es, with the most shocd<inj^- barbarit\-. ( )rru"ers and soldiers 
were tomahawked in cold blood. The man-led boilics ot their vic- 
tims of savaj^'c atrocity were scattered alon^- the banks ot the river. 

I-5ut thirty-seven men escaped. 

The liritish oflicers claimed — " We had no control ot the In- 
dians when they beyfrui theii- massacre." 

( )nc of the men, who had escaiied, re]>orted to General Harri- 
son that, "The scene of massacre which followecl our surrender was 
tlie most hideous siyht ever witnessed by man."' 

As evidence l)eariny: U]ion this reixirl, and also toucdiin^' upon 
the site of the surrender of the .\merican army, about lifty-live 
years after, the old Michii.:an Southern Railroad Company found it 
necessary, on account of heavy tloods, to raise the bridge crossing" 
the river Raisin at I'Jm .\venue, to 2 feet 1 inclu-s. The raisinj^- of 
the bridi^c necessitated a re<^rade of I'lm A\enue. it was done 
witli teams and scrai:)ers. P'roui an otlicial report we ^'ct this — 

"In the use of the scrapers a numlx^'r ot skidetons were un- 
earthed, many with heads split open, some with bullet holes in 



41) 



them, thus identifying tliem as some of the men wlio were 
massaered/' 

From the most autlientie sourees the site of the Battle or 
Massacre of the Raisin is in the immediate vicinity of the Ehn 
Avenue crossin<4" of the present Lake Shore and Michigan vSouthern 
Railway. 

(icneral Harrison followed (icneral Winchester, but meetin^- 
the few who had escaped cind learnin*^" of the terrible disaster, con- 
cluded to return to Fort Meio:s. 



50 



The Siege of Fort Meigs. 

On February 1st, 18i;-), (leneral Harrison be^jan the construction 
of a fort, at a point about ten miles above the city of Toledo, and 
upon a site overlooking- the ri\'cr and valley for many miles. Trees 
were felled, breast works were thrown about the whole army. 
Several weeks were occupied in digfg-ing: trenches, splitting- logs, 
raising: block houses, and when completed, on February 16th, he 
named it Fort Meigs, in honor of the patriotic (lOvernor of Ohio, 
Return Jonathan Meigs. 

The jjeculiarily of his name. Return JonathcUn ]\Ieigs, often 
causes one to ask why "Return''? Governor Meigs had been a 
soldier, a Senator, and Postmaster General of the United States. He 
was named after his father Jonathan Meigs, with the addition of 
"Return" because of the following circumstances: Jonathan Meigs 
had a sweetheart, a very pretty Quaker girl, who was destined to 
become the grandmother of our governor. To young Jonathan's 
plea for grace and favor at her hand her lii)s said, no; while her heart 
said, yes. The unhappy youth, with shattered hopes and a broken 
heart, turned from her to face alone the cold, unsympathizing world. 
With bowed head he crossed the meadow field, and as he was about 
to climb the rail fence he turned his head to take a farewell look. 
Their eyes met, she beckcmed him to return with her hand. His face 
brightened. She called to hini in her ])rim Ouaker parlance — 
" Return Jonathan." The sweet vtnee sounding across the fragrant 
mead(jw, was to him the pardon of a (lueen. His heart was 
light, he hastened to her side, and, that he might always hear 
the words sp(jken by the same voice, when she softly called the 



51 




GOVERNOR RETURN JONATHAN MEIGS 
United Stales Senator, from Ohio, 1808 '10. Governor of Ohio, 1810 '14. 
1814 '2.^. Born at Middletown, Conn., December 1740. Di 
Agency, January 28, 1823. 



United States Postmaster, 
d at the Cherokee 



52 



name of their first horn, tlie father named the 1)()\ — " Ketnrn 
Jonathan Mei^js." 

Ft)rt Meiyfs, proper, eovered a spaee of nine aeres, l)nt tliis was 
increased to fourteen aeres, after the second sieg"e. It was tlie most 
important and imposing of the fortifications in the Maumee X'alley 
and the Great Northwest. The most prominent feature, and which 
has been so well preserved, is tlie breastwork, extendino: alongf the 
river bank about 1,200 feet, j-'rom tliis bne of fortification, wliieh 
is ab(jut 70 feet above the river bed, the vision extends for many- 
miles up and down the river, presentini^' a landscape view seldom 
seen in American scenery. 

A deej:) ravine ran throuj^h the fort. Caves were made for the 
retreat of the men. These rooms were shot ]:)roof, and bomb ])roof, 
except in the event of a shell falling" into the traverse and at the 
south of the eaves. Anticipating that the British would advance as 
soon as the ice broke up in the river. General Harrison recognized 
the importance of making' the fort "the grand bulwark of defence 
for the thousands of s(juare miles of territory lying between the 
Ohio river and the great lakes; he therefore api^lied himself earn- 
esth- to the strengthening of Fort Meigs.'' He was not surprised to 
learn that General Proctor, commander of the British forces, and 
Tecumseh, chief in command of the Indians, L'arh' in .\i)ril, made 
their appearance on the left bank of the Maumee, occupying Fort 
Miami. According to British reports, ( lenei-al Proctor's force con- 
sisted of l,b)il regulars and Canadian militia, accompanied by 
a train of artillery, attended by two gun boats, and Tecumseh's 
Indians, numbeiang about LM<>l). ( )nc of the ])attery guns was .a 24- 
pounder. General Harris(jn, io defend the fort, could not muster 
over 1,000 men. On April 27th the enem\- established their gun bat- 
teries, directly opposite the fort, known as I-Jritish Point, and on the 



5:-! 




FORT MEIGS 

Facing the river and Maumee City. Showing the line of fortifications where were stationed the gun and mortar 
batteries, the bloelt houses and looliouts. Below, to the right, are the graves of Lieut. Walker, and Lieut. 
McCullough, the last of whom was shot while conversing with General Harrison. The graves are unmarked 
and known to but a few pioneers living in the valley. 



54 




FORT ^^EIGS 

The nadial ravine uhcrc the soldiers were quartered during the siege in 1S13. 



.").■) 



29th the sieg'e beofan in earnest, as firinj^' continued briskly on both 
sides. (leneral Harrison ^ave his personal attention to every detail, 
seeminji' to l)e indifferent to the dan^^'er to which he was exposed; 
cannon balls i)lowed the earth at his feet. ( )n .\pril i^Uth the enemy 
towed a !;2:un boat u]) the river and fired for several hours at the 
fort, but without effect. On May 1st over 'M){) shots were fired from 
the shore batterN-, and ei;4'ht Americans were wounded. May 2nd 
and 3rd (IIK) shots were fired, with the result of killinj^' six, and 
woundinj4' twenty men. 

On the afternoon of May 3rd a boat was seen to start across the 
river toward the fort, bearin<:); a fiajj of truce. A IJritish officer. 
Major Chambers, landed at the foot of the hill, under the fort. 
Alajor Hukill, General Harrison's aid, was sent to meet him. The 
ofiticer told his errand, that he came to demand the surrender of the 
ofarrison. Major Ilukill replied that such a demand was useless. 
But the oi^cer insisted on seeing' Oeneral Harrison. vSo blindfold- 
in<4' him. Major Hukill conducted him into the i)resence of the jjen- 
eral. The whole conversation was reduced in writing'. Its authcn- 
ticit\- is placed beyond doubt. 

Major Chambers — " (ycneral Proctor has directed me to demand 
the surrender of the post. He wished to spare the effusion of 
blood." 

General Harrison — "The demand, under ]:)resent circimistances, 
is a most extraordinary one. As General Proctor did not send me a 
summons to surrender on his first arrival, I had supi)ose(l that he 
believed me determined to do my (lut\". I lis ])rescnt messaj^je indi- 
cates an opinion of me that I am at a loss to account for." 

Major Chambers — "Cicneral Proctor could never think of saxdn^ 
anything that would wound _\-our feclin^^s. The character of Gen- 
eral Harrison, as an officer, is tot> well known. General Proctor's 



56 



force is very res])eetable, and lliere is willi liini a Kir^e ]uu]\- ..f 
Indians, lar^^er than was e\"er assembled before." 

(ieneral Ilarrison — "I believe I have a very correct idea of 
General Proctor's force; it is not such as to create tlie least appre- 
hension for the result, whatever shape he may be jileased to >^\vg it 
hereafter. Assure the gfeneral, however, that this spot will never 
be surrendered to him on any terms. Should it fall into his hands, 
it will be in a manner calculated to do him more honor, and <^\ve 
him hi^'her claims on the j^^ratitude of his «4:overnment than any 
capitulation could possibly do.'' 

Major Chambers shook hands with the !:^eneral and took his 
departure. Immediately after his return there followed a continu- 
ous heavy tiring". 

At twelve o'clock, on the nijjht of May 4lh, Captain William 
Oliver broug'ht the messajje to (ieneral Harrison that (ieneral Clay, 
with about 1,?0() Kentuckians, was approachinm' down the ri\cr in 
tlatboats, and was within two hours of the fort. Cnder orders of 
General Harrison, 80U of the men, under command of Colonel Dud- 
ley, landed on the British side «^f the river, near the battlefield of 
Fallen timbers, and by a rai)id and secret march were to come down 
upon the enem\-'s batteries, spike their cannon, and then retreat 
under cover of Fort Mei^s. The other di\ision of 400 men came 
down the river upon the side (occupied by the Americans, and when 
within a sh(M"t distance from the fort thc\- discovered Indians in 
g^reat numbers hidden in the forest, .\fter hard li^htin^' they suc- 
ceeded in reaching' the fort with but little loss. The conlliit upon 
the eastern side of the riser attracted the attention of the British, 
and heavy cannonading' followed from their ^jfuns stationed on the 
banks opposite Fort Meijjs. The firinj^" was sohea\y and continuous 
that the .\mericans did not hear theii" artillerv or notice the cannon 



D/ 




FORT MEIGS 
The northerly section facing Fort Miami. 



58 




REAR VIEW OF FORT MEIGS 
Showina the portion of the Grand Traverse where the soldiers retired in artificial caves, in command of one 
of the militia men who stood upon the emhankment and forwarned them of every shot. " He was so 
skillful he could predict the destination of every hall. One day there came a shot that seemed to defy 
his calculations. He stood silent, motionless, perplexed In the same instant he was swept into 
eternity." 



59 



balls ])l()\vino; the hillsides. While the foe was eng-aged in tliis aet 
Colunel Dudley's Kentiiekiaiis rushed down upon the rear, took their 
batteries, spiked their guns, gfaining- a most i^lorious vietory. 

"If Colonel Dudley had retreated to the rear," said Oeneral 
Harrison, "as 1 had commanded him to, happy would it have been 
for him and his men; but unfortunately the Indians raised their war- 
whoop in the forest, and that was more than any Kentuckian ever 
could stand, so our \-ictors rushed madly to meet their mortal foe." 
Colonel Dudley pursued the enemy far into the forest, to such a 
distance that Ceneral Proctor was enabled to throw from his camp, 
at Fort Miami, a sufficient force to intercept, kill and capture all 
but 150 of those brave and most unfortunate men. The surrender 
was made to the British, and not to the Indians. The prisoners, 
G85 men, were taken down to Fort ^liami, and there was enacted a 
trag-edy that will never be forgotten by those who claim kinship, 
either in blood or patriotism; to that devoted band. Approaching- 
the fort, and in the fort, the men were stripped, scourged, shot and 
tomahawked by the Indians, under the eyes of the British officers, 
whose weak protest against this api:»alling cruelty bears conviction 
that they were worse men at heart than the savages themselves, 
whom they encouraged. It comes from PLnglish authority that the 
flesh of sonie of the ])risoners was boiled and eaten by the Indians, 
and in the vicinity of the liritish officers' headciuarters. It was 
Tecumseh who put an end to this carnage. He upbraided Proctor 
for. not preventing the massacre, and told him he was unfit to com- 
mand. 

vSo sincere was Tecumsch's ])rotest against the manner of killing 
the prisoners that he held a council of chiefs and informed Proctor 
that the Indians would desert him. In fact, so great bccanie their 
dissatisfaction, and the heavy firing from l'\)rt Meigs continuing, 



60 



that, on May 5th, tlic Indians retired tn the forest, "away from 
Proctor's eami)." Tliere was no lirinj^' ti"om tlie iJi'itisli ^uns from 
May 6th to tlie lOlli. On tlie 11th Proctor raised the sie^e and 
returned down the ri\-er, and sailed out npon the lake. lie retreated 
to Amherstburjj. 

After Proctor's deixirture a detachment from ( ".eneral Harrison's 
army was sent to j^ather up the dead, and the majority of the bodies 
found through the woods were brought to Fort Meigs and buried. 
One of the men, who entered Fort Miami and and saw the result of 
the massacre, wrote the following: " My face turned white as snow 
when I looked down over the fort and saw more than a hundred of 
my fellow comrades all lying in one mass of blood, so that it was 
impossible to recognize my most intimate com]:);inion." 

Believing that the British would again \-isit the Maumee \alley, 
General Harrison at once began the repairing of the fort. 

( )n .lul\- j?()lh the enemy was again seen ascending the river. 
General Proctor had returned with about 5,500 men. On July 2Gth 
the British infantry secreted themselves in the ravine below Fort 
Meigs. The Indians were stationed a mile below the camp of the 
Ivnglish. To deceive the Americans the\' commenced a sham battle 
among themselves, in hopes of enticing the garrison to the aid of 
their comrades, and while the fort was deserted the enemy's cavalry, 
which was hiding in the woods behind the fort, were to make a dash 
from their concealment and capture the fort, but the ruse did not 
proN'c successful. It was a cunning stratagem, and had it not been 
met with ecjual cunning the result of the war would ha\-e been 
different. 

General Procto)". finding their effoiis in \ain, and not being sure 
of the friendshi]) of certain tribes of Indians, the BiMtish army, 
co!ni)rising about 4,I'0l) whites and Indians, for the second time 



61 




FORT MEIGS Harrison Point.) 

Where General Harrison stooJ watchinu the movements of Colonel Dudley's attack 

upon the opposite side of the river. 



Gi 




THE BURIAL GROUND OF COL. DUDLEY AND HIS .MEN 

'On May 6, 1813, after the massacre of Col. Dudley and his men, we brought to Fort Meigs the 

remains of Col. Dudley and about one hundred and thirty Kentuckians and buried them 

there." Howe's Historical Collection of Ohio. 



63 



departed. It is recorded in a number of letters from prominent 
men that " several tribes of Indians reftised to accompan\- the l^rit- 
ish, notwithstandinof great inducements of money and promises of 
land were made by the English/' 

In these trying times, with the forests filled with savage bands 
of Indians, no men connected with the army were of greater serv- 
ice, and whose duties were so continually surrounded with hard- 
ships and danger, as the scouts. 




;"-K^'.. :'-5aBJ»i!i 



THE HARRISON WELL 
\X'hich supplied the garrison with water, Fort Meigs. 



64 



Peter Navarre and the Defence of Fort Stephenson. 

Anionj*- the most trustworthy and dariii}^ scouts, under General 
Harrison, none received greater honors and proved a more devoted 
patriot to his country than Peter Navarre. 

This famous scout was born in Detroit, Michi^^an, in 17.S5, and 
at the ag-e of 22 moved to the mouth of the Maumee river, where he 
built a cabin and eng-aged in the fur trade. His business required 
many journeys through the forest, visiting the tribes of Indians 
whose camping and hunting grounds were along the lake shore. 
Xavarre thus became familiar with the many trails leading to the 
interior. 

The war of 1812-i:-5 closed the fur trade and Navarre enlisted, as 
a scout, in the American army, under General Harrison. Naturally 
his work centered in the Maumee valley. 

Among the most important scouting expeditions, and which 
always seemed to be the first in Navarre's mind, was, when he took a 
messag-e from General Harrison to Major Crogan, at Fort Stephen- 
son (now Fremont, Ohio). On July 27th, 1813, Navarre reported to 
General Harrison that Proctor and his army was about to sail down 
the river, across the lake to Sandusky Bay, and up the river of the 
same name, to attack Fort Stephenson. 

General Harrison immediately called his ..tlicers and held a 
council ; the agreement \vas that, Major Crogan, with his small force, 
could not hold the fort, and it was decided to send a message at once 
to him, ordering him to abandon the fort, destroy it by fire, and 
retreat to Fort Seneca, about nine miles south of Fort Stephenson. 
The fort, which was calculated for a garriscm of 200 men, could not 



05 



be defended ag'ainst tlie licavy arlillcTy of the enemy. Peter 
Navarre was cliosen as llie seoiit to earr\' tlie tollowiiT^' messaj^e to 
Major Croj4-an ; " Slioiild the Hritisli troo])s apiM-oaeli \-our force, with 
cannon, and \-()U (lise()\-c'r them in time to elfect a retreat, yon will 
do so immedialeh', destroying' all the ])nl)lie stores." I-'ollowinj^' is 
Peter Xa\'an-e\s repl\- to a letter of in(|uiry: "(ieneral Harrison 
.asked mi' if 1 could take a message to Major C'roj4:an before Proctor, 
with his forces, could arri\'e at I'^ort Ste])henson. 1 told him I could. 
I feared nothin;^'. I knew that 'lY-cumseh was enroute for the same 
phice by land with about jf,0()() Indians. Ihit I followed the bay- 
shore trail in ad\'ance of them, (ieneral Harrison }4a\e me the 
message, a small ])iece of ])apcr, wliich 1 foldi'd and sewed in 
between the collai" of my woolen shirt. I left I-'ort Mei'^s at sun- 
down on .lul\- jIDth. I had faii-l\- followed the trail through the forest 
when, just as it beg'an to jjfet dark, one of the most terrific thunder 
storms that I ever passed tlirou^h came u|)on me. It rained for 
hours. It was the worst nijjfht I ever spent in the forest. .Soaked 
to the skin, and with the nij^ht darker than any I e\er saw before, 
I was compelled to wade throuj^'h water for miles. 1 had to swim 
several streams, and to avoid the Indians I had to swim the San- 
dusky river twice. I did not aia-i\e at I'ort vStephenson until in the 
afternoon of July >'^lst, when I delivered the message to Major 
Cr<j'^an. Teeumseh, with jl,()()() Indians, followed a few miles in my 
rear, but he had a bettei- trail. Soon after I arri\-ed Major Croj^jan 
sent a reconnoiterinj^: i)arty to the forest and found that his fort was 
surrounded by Indians, Tecumseh ha\"in^' arrived, lie was satisfied 
that it would not be safe to retreat. ICarly on August 1st, I saw 
Proctor's three vessels coming up the river around the bends. .Major 
Cro^'an sent me back with a repl\- to (icneral Harrison in effect that 
he would hold the fort. I arrived at I'ort Meijjfs on the mondnjj: of 
Aug'ust -ind." 



66 



Major ("foj^an was a yoiinj^' man, 22 years of at^c,an(l was placed 
in command ot l''ort SU'])lunson ])y < 'ic-ne-i"al Harrison. '1'Ik' toil was 
defended 1)\- but one }.^un and 1(><) men — yonn-^' nu-n. ("iiiu'ia! I'roe- 
tor's force consisted of 427 re^^ulars, with about 2,000 Indians, who 
surrounded the fort. 

( )n the moi-nin^' of August 1 st, ( /cncral I'roctoi- dcman<U'd iht- 
surrender of Fort vSteplienson, with threats of a yfeiieral massacre 
in case of refusal. 'I^he youn}j: commander, worthy of the bh)od that 
bounded in his \cins, answered: " If \-ou take this fort you will find 
nol)ody left to surrender it. Rathci" than \icld, the garrison will die 
to the last man." About four o'clock in the afternoon the enem\' 
fired its first t^'un at the fort, from one of tlic l)()ats. The (iiani^' con- 
tinued at interxals durin;^' tlic ni-^lit. 'To induce the belief that 
Major Cro^an liad more than one ^iin, lie c]ianj.^ed the i:)iece from 
one place to another. During,'' the nij^'ht the enemy had i)lanted two 
cannon on a small hill about 250 yards from the fort. I>\- this mo\-e- 
ment Major Croj^an concluded that Proctor intended storming: the 
fort. He at once strenjjfthened that point. I'nder cover the cannon 
was removed to the block house, in a position from which it could 
rake the ra\'ine. TIk' cmbrasui'c was masked, and the cannon loaded 
with a double charyfe of sluj^s and u'rape shot. .\s was ant iri|)ated, 
"a column of liSO British rej^ulars, followed ])\- Indians, .itlempted 
the assault." 

With shouts of the men, the yells of the Indians, and the dis- 
char^je oi the musketr\-, the enemy, certain of \ictory, rushed up the 
narrow enclosure. Suddenly there was a iKUisi.'. The masked i)ort 
hole was seen to open, and the six-pounder, at a distance of fort_\' 
feet, poured such destruction amon-^i' tlKin that but few who t-ntcred 
the ditch i)i-oper were fortunate enou^^h to cscajtc. The Indians 
(iuickl\- retreated to the forest. 



The total loss of the enemy was ISO. The loss of the uarrison 
was one man killed. The assault lasted but half an hour. The 
white t\ii'^ of the mortally wounded leader was seen throu;^h the 
gloom, depending" from his sword point, as he feebly asked, that 
mercy, which a short time before he had directed his men to deny. 

General Proctor beat a hasty retreat, lie sailed to Amherst- 
burg. The English veterans had gone up against a new generation. 

The cannon used by Major Crogan, at this famous battle, now 
stands at the fort overlo jking one of the most beautiful, and ])ros])er- 
ous cities of Ohio. 

The cannon is familiarly known as "Old Betsy Crogan," and is 
prized very highly by the citizens of Fremont and people generally. 

The complimentary letter, from Oeneral Harrison to ^Major 
Crogan, immediately upon the receipt of the report of the victory, 
was taken by Peter Navarre. 

After peace had l)een restored in the Xorthwest, Peter Navarre 
lived along the lake shore, at the mouth of the Maumee river, 
respected and loved by all who knew him. 

He died in East Toledo, March 20th, 1874, in the cSDth year of his 
age. 

It is often asked who was, and what became of (rcneral Proctor? 
Henry A. Proctor was born in Wales, ITtkS. He was in command of 
a regiment in Canada, in 1812. He defeated the Americans, under 
General James Winchester, at Frenchtowm, in 1813. Was repulsed 
by General Harrison, at Fort Meigs ; by Major Crogan, at Fort 
Stevenson; and by General Harrison at the battle of the Thames, 
October 5th, 18i;^. This battle fore\x'r broke up the confederacy of 
the English and Indians against the United States. 800 out of 875 
British Regulars surrendered to General Harrison. The battle was 
so quickly decided that few were killed on either side. General 



G8 




"OLD BETSY CROCIAN " 

Cannon used by Major George Crogan against the British in the defence of Fort Stephenson, 
August 1st and 2d, 1813. 



G9 



Proctor ma<k' liis cst-ajx' with a squadron of dragoons, lie died at 
Liverpool, I^^noland, in 1<S5!). 

Time lias aceuimdated many i)ai)ers, official and unofdcial, wliich 
contain interestinj^^ and x'aluahle detailed rei)orts of the daily 
transaetions of the men in an about l^\)rt Meij^s. ddie many narrow- 
escapes; the experiences of the men in the block houses; and the 
exposed ])()sitions durinj:^: the heavy and continued lirin^ of the 
enemy from the batteries .almost directly opp(xsite the fort; the ven- 
turesome expeditions of tlie outlaying; picket men; the miraculous 
escape of " reconnoiterin^- s(|uads, who, frequently under cover of 
ni^jfht were beyond the enemies' lines; tojjfether with the days and 
ni;4'hts of anxiety antl distress ; the su tiering' of the wounded, witli- 
out a word of coniplaint coniin^' from their lips", all tliese are facts 
which should be carefully studied by our youn^' peoj^le. 

P'rom the most reliable sources, possible to obtain, we learn 
that the Americans lost during' the siegfe of Fort Mei^"s, in killed JS? ; 
wounded 189. P'rom sickness and other causes 137 deaths. 

It is impossible to estimate the importance of the success of 
Cicneral Harrison in this war. Detroit had surrendered, and the 
conquering: Engflish were pressin;jf forward with vigfor and determin- 
ation to "wipe the \'ankees from off the face of the earth," but the 
British were stopped, on the Ijanks of the Maumee, and after two 
determined siejjes were withstood. 

In the immediate vicinity of the fort are buiaed not only those 
who were killed in its defence, or died during' its occupation, ])ut 
also many of the dead who fell in the attac-k ui)on the Ihatish batter- 
ies upon the opposite side of the river. The facts arc well estab- 
lished that interments were madeat three points adjacent to the fort. 
These are to the eastward, the burial place of the dead recovered 
fromCohjnel I Judle^-'s disasterous li'^'ht. To the southward, the burial 



70 



ground of the " Pitlsbiir-ii ISliics." And to tlic westward, the -"arri- 
son burial g-round. The entire grounds covering about 55 acres. 
Of the " Pittsburgh P)hies," a scout wlio performed distinguished 
service under (General Harrison said, of this famous Pennsylvania 
regiment :— " They were men nearly of a size ; strong, muscular, and 
natural athletes. Brave, to a man. They wore blue Jackets, made 
by the good women of I^ittsburgh ; hence the name, ' Pittsburgh 
Blues \" 

From records at command, and they are many, it is difficult to 
state the exact number of interments in and about Fort Meigs, but 
a fair estimate would be 1275 men. 

Out of the Northwest, saved by the brave ''Mad" Anthony 
Wayne, and the gallant Harrison, we have six of the greatest States 
in America, Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and 
Minnesota. 

And now where the Indian warhoop was sounded a century ago, 
to-day there are millions of men and women engaged in peaceful 
pursuits, .surrounded by all the luxuries of civilization. The lives 
of about 2200 American heroes were sacriticed in the engagements 
of the Northwest against the ccmibined efforts of the Indians and 
the P>ritish, and to-day these brave soldiers are sleeping on the hill- 
sides overlooking this historic valley. Here are buried the remains 
of Colonel Dudley and his brave Kentuckians. Lieutenants Walker 
and McCullough, and the famous "Pittsburgh Blues." Heroes from 
the east, and the south, all sleei^ing away the centuries unhonored 
and unsung in nameless and almost forgollen graves. Nature has 
provided these patriots with beautiful resting places and the exact 
burial grounds are known only by the memory of a few persons who 
have been spared beyond the years allotted to man. 
Such is the brief history of the Maumee X'alley. 



71 



From the well preserved fortifications of Fort ^Meigfs, Fort 
Miami or Presqiie Hill at Turkey Foot Rock, can be seen the most 
sacred spots in this beautiful valley. As far cas the eye can see 
there presents to the strang"er a scene of natural beauty and 
g'randeur dotted with fascinating- sur])rises, and between all flows 
the historic river, now ripplin^jf over stony ridg:es, then peacefully 
flowin<4' on to the lake. Standing" on these natural monuments, sur- 
rounded by the dead, and seeing signs of decay and neglect on all 
sides, the question naturally comes to us, has the west no sons 
whose g-allant and brave deeds have earned places in the hearts of 
their prosperous and happy ancestors? Must these heroes of the 
past, these men who gave to us all this beautiful and rich valley, 
be forgotten ? 

Must their graves remain unmarked and no monuments erected 
to commemorate their glorious deeds and fearless acts ? 

The silent answer comes to every true American, to the 
Pioneers of the valley, go ask the shining river whose waters were 
stopped by the dead bodies of our brave soldiers, and it will tell a 
tale of deeds and noble daring. 

Go ask the smiling valley whose harvests bloom above the 
unmarked graves, it will tell many a sad story of the brave who 
slumber there. Dudley's men knew no dread of dang'er, when the 
Indian yell rose above the clamor and din of battle ; gallantly they 
struggled, gallantly they fell, and yet not a single monument is seen 
in all this fertile valley, in honor of the memories of that heroic 
band, that the young" might be informed of the kind of metal of 
which their ancestors were made of, and to interest them in the cir- 
cumstances and occurrences that befel the lion hearted men who 
braved hardships and dangers, who won an Empire, and trans- 
formed a wilderness into a garden that to them the keeping of the 
heritage must be transmitted, antl that they should deem it worthy 
of preservation for all time to ct;me. 



72 







INDIAN VILLIAGES. From an old drawing 1 75).H. 
The villages of the several tribes of Indians at the meeting of the waters of the Ai'. Glaizc and Miamiof-the-North 

(Maumee Rivers. 



73 



The Indians of The Maumee Valley. 

The prt^blem of the oriofin of the North American Indian has 
never been satisfactory solved by those who have made a line of 
study of this interestingf subject. Information brouofht together 
from a scattered condition of researches, mostly received through 
traditional sources, it is believed that the Indians t)rio'inally came 
from Asia, via Behring- Strait. The names of all the nations and 
tribes who occupied the territory south of the great lakes, with their 
more noted chiefs, together with the many wars between themselves, 
would form an extensive catalogue, and occupy more space than 
this condensed history calls for. It is suilicient to mention the 
prt)minenL and most powerful nations and their chiefs. The early 
day historians, who carefully traced the origin of the tribes of 
Indians who made their hoines in this valley, and adjacent tributary 
territory, found that many of the tribes, who considered themselves 
as — " Old resident land marks ", had occupied the country since the 
18th century. In the eastern states and in Canada, wars were 
numerous between nations. The most powerful becoming con- 
(luerors through the intr(,)duction of fire arms. Bands of Indians 
deserted from their nations and called themselves Tribes. The 
weaker nations were defeated in battles, and left the east for the 
quiet wilderness of the west. The Ottawas were first found in 
Canada, on the upjier ( )ttawa river. In 1G4() the Irocjuois drove 
them from their homes, and they wandered farther west, following 
the Wyandottes, to the "western end of Lake lu-ie." The Pottawa- 
tomies were the first to secure fire-arms. The name meaning " Fire 
Makers." 



74 



The Ojibwa, Ottawa and Pottawatomie tribes were desijj^nated 
as the "Three Fires." The Wyandottes were in the Maiimee Valley 
ofenerations before the Sliawiiees, Ottawas or Pottawatomies, and 
they always elaimed the rij^ht to oeeupy the land at the western 
end of Lake Erie. The I^-ies were among: the first Indians who 
came from the north and occupied all the territory southeast of the 
lake. Lake ICrie was named after tliis tribe, " ( )n account of 
their i^eaceful natures, and sudden an^er, which soon died 
away and they always lived in peace amony: themselves." The 
Wyandottes and the Senecas w^ere blood relations. Both nations 
lived in Canada. The Wyandottes on the north side of the St. Law- 
rence River, the vSenecas on the opposite side. A warrior of the 
Wyandottes wanted a Seneca woman for his wife. She replied that he 
was no warrior, that she saw no scalps upon the pole in front of his 
wijjfwam. 'i'he Wyandotte started at once for the woods, he met a 
hunting: jxirty of the Senecas, killed them all, returned and i^laced 
seven scalps before his home. The Senecas soon discovered the 
loss of their companions, and learning: the cause, declared war. 

History informs us that these two nations were the greatest in 
numl)er n\ all the Indians in the cast, but by the continued wars, 
whenever the\- met, either singly or in bands, the knife was drawn, 
until the nations were reduced to tribes. All that was left of these 
two g-reat nations finally settled in the Maumee Valley. From the 
very best authority possible to obtain, after years of reseai;ch, we 
find recorded in a Canadian library the following- — "In 1680 the 
I'^rench (lovernor of Canada rep()rted that the fi)llowing' tribes of 
Indians live in the villag:es at the western end of Lake Erie. The 
names of the tribes appearing: as they came to the Maumee Valley. 
Wyandottes, Shawnees, Pottawatomies, Senecas, Ottawas, Dela- 
wares, Miamis, Ivries, hMciuois, Kit-kapoos, Choctaws, l'\)xes. Sacs, 



75 



Ilnrons, Sioux, Clicrokccs, Mohicans, Tonnwundas, and Wees, 
tin- largest number in any one lri]>e Injin^ IKK) w.arriors, the 
smallest ( k'icka])oos) .'^00 waiMMors." >\ll these triljes representefl 
a poi)ii];i1 ion of about !»,()()') Indians. The Maumee X'alley was an 
important commercial center, l'"orl Miami bein^' the j^reat trade 
eenter for all Indians west of Lake l'>i-ie. Major li. Stiekney, of 
Toledo, lon^-- an Indian a-^ent in this valle_\', in a lecture delivered 
in Toledo, I'ehruai-y 2JS, 1815, said ; " I learn from the W'yandottes, a 
nation of j^-reat influence and i)ower, that prior to this century all 
the Indians west of this valley were at war witli all the Indians of 
the east, and it was not until the {jfreat chiefs, Tecumseh, Little 
Turtle and Turkey hoot , became such i^nverful leaders, rlid the 
wars cease between these now jjfreatly reduced nations." 

So many different tribes were in this valle_\' that in their coun- 
cils it vsas necessary to ha\'e interpi-cters between the tribes as it 
was between the Indians and the Cnited States ollicers. "The 
Indians in the valley, from ^''eneration to generation, handed down 
to their ancestors the ti-adilion that the land, with ,all its waluable 
hunting- pri vileii'es, was theirs, and not until tlic-ii' solitude was dis- 
turbed by the I^^rench aufl haij^lish did the oM chiefs bej.;'in to 
prophecy the disruption of their race. It is interestinj^" to nt^te 
S(Mne of tin- leading- Indian chiefs who fi;^''ured ciMispicnously in the 
valley. In ll^VA I'ontiac, a celebrated chief of the Ottawas, was the 
leader in the "I'ontiac wars." lie led the unsuccessful attack ou 
Detroit in I7(i.'^, and subniittt-d to tli(_- Lwitisli in I7<!'). lie was 
killed in 17(1!). I'ontiac often \'isited the tiilu'S in this \alle\-, and 
foi" many years his speecdies were (juoted b>- the- Indians. Amonjjf 
the most noted chiefs of the country there was none whose name 
was more familiar and who swayed a ^'reater power than Tecumseh. 
He was of three at a birth. One was a "Prophet" and always 



76 




TECUMSEH. 
Tecumsch was a member of the Ti.rtle iribe of Indians, of the Shawnee Nation. Horn on the banks of ihc 
Great Miami River in the year 1 7«H. He had Kreal influence over all Indians, and was cnRaged in 
nearly every battle participated in by Indians. "His face was finely proportioned; his nose inclined lo 
the aquiline, and his eye displayed none of that savage and ferocious triumph common to the Indi«ns. 
When a young man his favorite pastime was canoeing on the .\^iami. He was Killed in the b.illlc nf 
The Thames, October 5th, IK 13." 



77 



claimed Southern Ohio as his permanent home. He was a dreamer, 
and claimed to have many supernatural relations made to him. The 
jjreat eclipse of the sun in the summer of 1(S()5, a knowledj^'e of 
which he obtained by some means, he said : " It would bring dark- 
ness over the sun." His dreams and prophecies ceased after his 
terrible defeat at the battle of Tippecanoe, November 7th, 1811, 
when General Harrison won a gfreat victory. The third never ap- 
peared in history. Tecumseh means " vShootingf star,'' and the chief 
received this appellation from the following" incident. When a 
young man his companions discovered his wonderful power of ora- 
tory and magnetism in which he held the savages. He was sent to 
represent his tribe and others, in an Indian council of the Creeks, 
in Southern Illinois, to solicit their aid in lighting the Indians of the 
east. While the Creeks were impressed with his eloquence, they 
refused to follow his advice, and in such terms that Tecumseh be- 
came very angry. In his wrath he said — " I will go straight to my 
people on the great lake, and when I get there I will stami) my feet 
upon the earth and shake down the stars." A month later the In- 
dians saw a bright comet in the northern skies. They believed that 
Tecumseh had kept his w^ord, and that he had supernatural power 
equal to his brother, the "Prophet." The Creeks prepared for war. 
Left their village and soon appeared before Tecumseh, calling him 
" Shooting Star." They follow^ed his advice, but to their sorrow. 
The tribe was almost annihilated. " Returning to their village a 
band." 

Tecumseh was five feet, ten inches in height; well formed for 
activity and endurance of fatigue. His elociuenee was nervous, 
concise and impressive; his words were few but always to the pur- 
pose. The late D. W. H. Howard said of him — " II is friendship 
was steadfast; his promises were sacredly kept; his anger was 



,78 



dreadful. His rcvcn^^e was like all Indians, ihoUf^ii often eherisl'.cd 
in seeret, was horrible and effeetiN'e as it was certain.'' lie visited 
in person all the tribes east of the Mississii:)])i ri\er and the lakes, 
excitingf them to war. The lirst battle in whieh he was en^afjfed 
occurred on the site of Dayton, between a i)arl\- of Kentuekians 
under Colonel Pjcnjaiiiin Lo*^"an, and a band of Shawnees. lie was 
then but 17 years of ajje. After the conimeneenient of hostilities 
between the United States and Oreat Britain he joined the British. 
He was in nearly every battle with the Americans from the time 
General Harmer's defeat to that of the '' Battle of the Thames, in 
Canada,'' where he was killed, on ( )ctol)er 5th, bS13, l)y an officer of 
General Harrison's staff, Colonel Johnson, of the mounted Kentucky 
Regiment. When he fell he was in his 4 1th \ear of aj^e, and held 
the commission of Brigfadier Genei-al in the iJritish army. Second 
to the most important chief, who claimed the willey as his home, 
was Little Turtle, the distinu'uished chief and councellor of the 
Miamis. He was the most eminent forest-warrior and statesman of 
his time. At the great Indian council held at Fort Defiance when 
he had learned of the approaching of General Wayne and his army 
towards the Maumee, he said — "Xow listen, the Americans are 
led by a chief who never sleeps. Day and night are alike to him. 
During all the time that he has been advancing north and marching 
upon our villages, notwithstanding the watchfulness of our young 
men, we have never bssn able to surjirise him. He eats our corn in 
perfect crdmness. Think well of what 1 sa>-. Listen; thei-e is 
something whispering to me that we sliould l)e prudent and hearken 
to his proposals of peace." After the battle of " Lallen Timbers" 
he reminded the chiefs, in a cotincil held at Grand Rapids, that — 
" 'I'he .\mei-ican C.ciieral swept the \-alle\' like a wind storm, as 1 
veril\- i)redieted." 



79 



There has been but few iiidi\'i(lua]s anionjjf the aborigines who 
have (lone so nuieh to abolish the rites of human saerifiee as Little 
Turtle. He and Teeumseh never approved of burninyf prisoners at 
the stake. He visited President Washin^-fon, at Philadelphia, and 
was treated with y^reat eourtesy. He died at I'ort Wayne, and for 
many years the Indians of all nations visited his u'l'^ive. The cele- 
brated chief, Turkey Foot, of the Ottawas, who commanded the bat- 
tle of " Fallen Timbers," claimed the rig-ht, by possession, to a g^reat 
portion of the land in this valley. " He was a man who disapproved 
of unfair warfare, a great fighter, and was buried, where he fell, at 
Turkey Foot Rock, August 20th, 1794." Pkiw Beese, the "good 
natured chief, of the Pottawatomies," was alwaws considered a lead- 
ing spirit in general councils. " Through the influence of Little 
Turtle and Baw Beese, on January 9th, 1798, a contract was signed 
by them, as representing nine tribes of Indians, and l)y the agents 
of the United States government, granting them all the land virtu- 
ally embraced in the lower Maumee valley." The British, through 
Teeumseh, soon after the signing of the contract, began negotiations 
with the Indians for the land, and offering- high prizes for every 
American scalp brought to Fort Maiden. The contract was broken, 
and the land remained under the condition in the (ireenville treaty. 
There were many other noted chiefs whose names are familiar to 
our pioneers, among them. Black Hawk, Blue Jacket, Ottokee, and 
Black Hoof. 

As a rule, when a tribe of Indians left a country, particularly if 
they were taken to a place where game was more plentiful, they sel- 
dom expressed a desire to return. It was not so, however, with the 
Shawnees and Ottawas; they were unwilling to leave the valley, 
and whenever oj^portunity favored, a warrior revisited his earl\- 
hunting grounds. The Maumee X^alley was noted for its great 



<S(J 



abundance t)f wild animals, wIimsu furs were sou^iflit after by tlie 
whites. ()f tlie few remaining- Indians, in tlie valley, during' the 
life time of the late D. \V. H. Howard, of them he wrote— "With 
rdl tlieir foibles and vices there is somethingf fascinating- in the In- 
tlian character, and one cannot long associate witli them without 
liaving a perceptible growing' attachment. 'I'hc Indian is em])hatic- 
ally the natural man, and it is an easy thing to make an Indian out 
of a white man, but \-cry ditlicult to civilize or christianize an In- 
dian. I ha\-e known a number of whites who had been taken pris- 
oners by the Indians when young, and without e.xccjHion, they 
formed such attachments that after being with them for some time 
they could not be induced to return to their own people. There was 
a woman among the wShawnees, supposed to be an hundred and five 
years of age, who was taken prisoner, at Dayton, when young. She 
was found, but nothing could get her to return to her people." 
The only record available of the time when the last Indian left the 
valley, is the official report to the government by Mr. Howard, em- 
braced in the following — "The last of the Indians to leave the 
Maumee \'alley were camped on lUittonwood Island, just above 
l-'ort Meigs. They remained on this island for several weeks pre- 
paratory to their trip across the plains, and l)y steamer to their new 
homes in the Xeosho Valley. I had charge of this sad duty, and on 
June 24th, 1838, as agent for the government, I took 800 Indians, 
representing seven ditierent tri])es, to the far west. A few old 
chiefs remained." 



81 



Two Famous Trees. 

The Willow Tree — The Battle on Lake Erie. 

At the time of the troubles on the Maumee the British com- 
manded the great lakes, and were preparing to carry on a war of 
conquest. The stringent order to General Proctor was — " The 
resources of the enemy on the great lakes must be overcome." 
The British fleet was commanded by Ct)mmodore Robert Hariat 
Barclay, an able officer who had served with distinction under Nel- 
son. His fleet consisted of six vessels, G3 guns and 440 men. On 
the evening of September 9th, 1813, the British fleet lay off Amherst- 
burg, and on the morning of the 10th, sailed towards Put-in Bay, " to 
sweep the lake." 

Commodore Oliver Hazzard Perry, about 28 years of age, with 
an experience of 14 years' active service, commanded the American 
fleet of 9 vessels, 54 guns, and 416 men. Commodore Perry, after 
being advised of the plans of the British commander, retired to Put- 
in Bay. "We put in there," so wrote one of the officers, " to get 
ready to lick anything that came our way. At sunrise, on the morn- 
ing of the 10th, Commodore Perry saw the enemy's fleet ' up the 
lake.' We immediately got under way, to meet them. At 11 o'clock 
the British came down towards us with a fair wind, and colors fly- 
ing. At 11:45 a. m., I5arclay opened the flght. It was but a short 
time until the English were hemmed in and raked with grape and 
cannister, ' until every vessel had struck her colors." 

As soon as tlic \-ictory was assured. Commodore Perry wrote 
his famous dispatch to (icneral Harrison, at I'ort Meigs, with wliom 



82 




PERRY'S \XILLOVC- Putin Bay, Lake Erie. 
Where are buried British and American officers. 



83 



he had been ordered to co-operate, on the back of an old letter 
which he rested on his navy cap — " We have met the enemy, and 
they are ours. Two shi]:)S, two brij^s, one schooner, and one sloop. 
\'ours, with ^reat respect and esteem, 

(). H. Perry." 
This was taken by the hands of Midshipman Hus;h Nelson Pay^e, 
who was sent with prisoners of war to (leneral Harrison. 

At 4 o'clock Commodore Perry wrote the followinof official re- 
port of the battle to secretary of the navy — 

"r. S. Brig Niagara, vSeptember 10, 1813, 4 P. M. 
The Honorable William Jones, Secretary of the Navy. 

vSir — It has pleased the Almighty to give the arms of the United 
vStates a signal victory over the enemy on this lake. The British 
vSquadron, consisting of two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one 
sloop have this moment surrendered to the force under my com- 
mand, after a sharp conflict. 

I have the honor to be, vSir, very respectfully your obedient ser- 
vant, (). H. Perry." 

Commodore Perry received the surrender on l)oard the Law- 
rence. 

One by one the Brirish officers offered their swords, which he 
requested them to retain. 

Never before was a victory more complete. It gave us control 
of the lakes. Commodore Perry received from Congress a vote of 
thanks and a medal. 

In the battle of Lake Erie out of the great number of lives lost 
on both sides — "The bodies of only Ave officers and eight men 
were recovered and buried under a beautiful willow tree on Put-in 
P)ay island, near the water's edge." 

This giant monument of nature, this mute witness of that fear- 
ful naval battle kept a faithful guard over the resting place of the 
sacred dead who slumber at its base. 



84 



For eis^'-hty-scven years no other monument marked the ^n\'ives. 
A heavy ehain eneireles the si)ot whieh i^-oteeted the halh.wed soil 
from footsteps of the erowds who annually throng: the island. As 
had been expected, time claimed the old tree. The storms of April, 
1900, found the willow an easy mark, and it fell but to be carted 



awav 



In one common ffrave sleep the remains of friend and foe, for 
there are two P,ritish naval officers resting in peace, and the trav- 
eller of either nation must pay respect to both American and Brit- 
ish heroes. 

Perhaps no battle ever fought on land or water has been spoken 
of or written about in prose and poetry more frequently and with 
greater applause and appreciation than Commodore Perry's victory 
at Put-in Bay, and yet no effort, aside from local annual Hoods of 
patriotic talk, has been made by the government to have placed 
upon this spot a monument in honor of this great victory and m 
memory of the fallen heroes. 

Before time removes the temporary mark patriotic people 
should erect a lasting and befitting monument to commemorate the 
valor of the victims of the battle of Lake Erie. 

Commodore Perry was born at vSouth Kingston, R. I., August 
23(1, 17S5. He died at Port Spain, Trinidad, August 'jlSd, bSlt). 



S.S 



The Elm Tree— At the Siege of Fort Meigs. 

Durin^^- tlie sieue of Fort Meio-.s, and on one of the most trying 
days, May 4th, 181I-5, thu officers and men at tlie fort were seriously 
annoyed b\' some Indian marksman wlio was stationed in one of the 
heavily leaved trees npon tlie opposite side of the Manmee river, 
and at sncli a hei^^-ht that " he eould pick off onr men as they went 
to the river to wash." 

So perfect was the aim of this Indian that he killed one man, 
and wounded several at the river before he could be located. Or- 
ders were <jfiven forbiddin;^' soldiers to leave the fort for the pur- 
poses named. The officer of the day selecting: " a squad of men, 
the best sharp shooters, ordered them to watch the smoke from the 
tree, discover the culprit and drop him." 

It was not lon^i' until the head of the Indian was seen above the 
thick foliaj^'e, lookinj^' for a soldier to fire at. 

In a very short time the commanding: officer received the fol- 

lowing;- — " We discovered the Indian and we dropped him 

from the tree." 

To-day, on the west bank of the ^laumee river and within the 
corporate limits of the historic villagfe of Maumee stands the fa- 
mous Elm tree, whicli is held, by the citizens, as equally an imi^ort- 
ant memorial of the early days as the forts and battlefields of the 
Maumee vallcN*. 



86 



.-^/ 





THE GRAVE OF GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE. 
General Wayne returned lo Erie. Pennsylvania, early in the winter of 1796. He remained but a short 
time until he was pros;rated with what proved a fatal illness. He died December 15th. 1 7ilH. At his 
request, he was buried under the old flag staff, at the block house. Fort Erie, on the bluff commanding 
the entrance to the harbor. 



87 




THE MAUMEE ELM. 

Made famous on account of the Indian sharp-shooter stationjd in the tree to kill the soldiers who ventured 

too near the river bend, at Kort Meigs, 181.<. 



88 



The Maumee Valley. 

WIkmi tlie United vStates declared war a^^ainst the Indians, in 
171>4; and, in 1812 ag-ainst the Indians and I'.ritish combined, the 
theatre of military operations and conflicts centered in the Manmee 
Valley. Measured by the short duration, and the numbers eng-aj^ed, 
the contiicts were the most important battles in the history of 
America. The victory of General Wayne destroyed the Indian 
power, as a power alone. The victory of (General Harrison destroyed 
the combined Indian and Ivn^iish power in the Northwest. In these 
decisive campaij^ns there was displayed a heroism that will live 
while immortality shall crown a human being. In some of the bat- 
tles the American forces were completely or nearly wiped out ; but 
few lived to tell the tale. As nearly every foot of the soil has been 
made sacred by the deeds of heroism, a few lines about the past 
and present of the Maumee Valley may be of g:eneral interest. 
Louis de Frontenac, the French Governor of Canada, from 1G72 to 
1682, was (luite successfid in his tradinu' witli tlic Indians ot his 
domini<.n. He had the si)irit of an ex]ilorer, and learninu^ that the 
country at the western end of Lake Erie abounded in fur animals he 
crossed the Detroit river and slowly worked his way into the 
unknown territory, unexplored by the white man. His exi:)eriences 
with the Indians did not iirove successful. "Three years were 
si)ent in cxplorinj^- this extensive region, and in cndeavorin-' to 
secure the alliance of the savaj^jes, and the uains .)f the fur trade. 
The suffering's of his men were exceedingdy severe and the (btlicult 
situations in which they fre(iuently found themselves reciuircd that 
tact found in iM-ontenac. It was not, however, until the Christian 



89 




HEAD OF THE MAUA\EE RAPIDS 



90 




^ 



t.' 



-i\ 



I 



THE UPPER VALLEY. 



91 



influence of Father Pere Marciuette had extended in the interior, 
and ak)nu- the kike shore, did 1^'rontenac again venture beyond the 
mouth of the Detroit river/' In the fall of 1G79 Frontenac made his 
first appearance in the Maiimee Valley. " He was the first white 
man to explore the boundaries of this river, known as the Miami-of- 
the-lake. He found the Indian trails, coming- from the west and 
north, from the many Indian villages of the interior, all centering 
at a point on the river bank at a high bluff extending beyond the 
natural bed of the river. This was the meeting place of the Indians 
of all Nations and tribes for commercial purposes. In the spring of 
1680, Louis de Frontenac established at this point, a trading post, 
and called it Miami." 

For many years it was the most noted spot along the lake, and 
was occupied by Frontenac until his death, at Ouebec, November 
28th, 1689. 

When the English took possession of Canada, they at once 
stationed a company of soldiers at this place, built several block 
houses, an irregular parapet, and called it Fort Miami. It has been 
known as such ever since. From this well preserved fort the valley 
presents a most magnificent view. 

Out of the ct)nflicts and struggles of the past; through the 
shadows and mists of long ago; through the energy and untiring 
perseverance of the inhabitants, the Maumee Valley to-day is a 
country rich in commercial interests and advantages; a land 
unexcelled for yielding all kinds of products. It is an inter- 
esting valley to travel tlirough. The surface is generrdly high 
and level. The forests were so dense, in the early days, that 
the branches and foliage were almost impenetrable to the rays 
of the sun, and when viewed at a distance it appeared like an 
immense blue wall stretching across the horizon. Nearly all this 



92 



natural beautv of forest-wildcrncss has disappeared. W uh the 
exceptions of a tew patches of woods, and here and there manin.oth 
oaks and graceful elms lordinu" it over the valley, this torest has 
been changed to a garden of unusual grandeur, (^.eneral W ayne, in 
his daily journal, kept by Mr. George Will, under drde of August 
08th 1794, wrote the following-" We have marched for four or hve 
milJs through corn fields, and there is not less than a thousand .un-es 
of corn in the vallev between Fort Defiance and Presque Isle Hill. 
There are also many orchards of apple trees, and they show age. 
Truly a beautiful, rich land." 

In IcSlG the government sent an agent to lay out a town, at the 
point best calculated for commercial purposes. That agent sounded 
the river from its mouth, and fixed upon Perrysburg as the proposed 
center of trade in the valley. The town was laid out m the all of 
the same year, and named after Commodore Perry, by Hon. Josiah 
Meigs, then Controller of the Treasury. 

The vilkure of Maumee was laid out in IMT, by Major William 
Oliver and others, within what has been the reservation of the 12 
mile square, at the foot of the rapids. Great interest naturally 
centers in this historic village. It was always the tavonte 
place for Indians. Part of General Wayne's battle of Fallen lim- 
bers was within the lin.its of the town. Where the court house now 
stands was the beginning of the terrible massacre of Col. Dudley s 
brave men. In this village there are a few descendents of the cele- 
brated chief. Little Turtle. Men an<l women who have lived all 
their lives in the valley, respected and loved by all who knew them. 
We are indebted to them for the following interesting memorandum, 
having been in my possession for twenty-five years. "On August 
3rd 1705, (General Anthony Wayne concluded a treaty ot peace with 
the' Indian Nations of the north and west, at Fort (Greenville, and 



93 



the names of the chiefs and the tribes present we herewith record. 
There were present the chiefs Little Turtle, Teciimseh, Ottokee, Blue 
Jacket, Baw Beese and others who sij^ned the agfreement, which 
was satisfactory to all. With these chiefs, and who told them to 
siijn the contract, were these warriors : 240 Pottawatomies, 3(S1 
Delawares, 46 Chippeawas, 73 Miamis, 104 Ottawas, 180 Wyandottes, 
143 Shawnees, 10 Kickapoos and 12 Wees. We now have peace and 
no more war." 

The jMaumee river is a most remarkable stream, taking" its rise 
in the rich lands of the upper valley, with a fall of eigfhteen feet per 
mile for seven miles, it flows with alternate smooth and broken cur- 
rent in a winding- north-easterly direction uniting with the waters of 
the Maumee Bay at the city of Toledo, one of the most prosperous 
cities in our land; a monument in itself commemorating' the deeds 
done by the heroes who sleep around its busy limits. \\'ith a 
present population of some 150,000 souls it is destined to be one of 
the most prominent commercial centers of the United States. 

The first steamboat plying: between Perrysburg', and "the lower 
landing's at Manhattan," was named "Walk-in-the-\Vater," ;md was 
piloted by Captain David Wilkinson. It made its first trip, June 
30, 1815. 

Fifteen years after, when the pet)ple from the cast and south 
began to locate permanently in the valley, on one of the trips of 
this famous little steamer, there was aboard a gentleman who was 
one of the escaped prisoners at Dudley's massacre. He came all 
the way from Kentucky, on horseback, ti) visit the battle ground 
and place of massacre. Landing at Maumee he walked directly to 
the present site of the old court house, and said — " It was here 1 
saw 40 of iny comrades tomahawked, and I ran the gauntlet." 

A resident of the village expressed surprise that he should 
remember the place. To this the old soldier replied — "Oh, I had a 



94 



jjfood many reasons laid on my back to recollect it. I ran the {^'•aunt- 
let between a line of several hundred savagfes, and each had a 
tomahawk or a ram rod made of hickory. I crept on my hands and 
knees to l■^)rt Mei^s." 

I^jcjjfinninjj: at the site of the old court house there was enacted a 
scene of hideous cruelty and massacre that, while the details have 
been often in i)rint, in American rei)orts, it will be of interest to 
note what the English said of Cohjncl Dudley and his brave men. 

In the London New Monthly Magazine, December, l^i2G, written 
by a British officer, we find the following—" The victory obtained 
over Colonel Dudley, and his men, was dee])ly embittered by an 
act of cruelty, which, as the writer of an impartial memoir it 
becomes my painful duty to record, a cowardly and treacherous 
band of Indians, selecting their victims commenced what proved to 
be the most hideous massacre ever recorded in the annals of war. 
The appeals of the poor Americans were answered with the toma- 
hawk and scalping knife. Tecumseh, the great chief of all the 
tribes, having been appraised of what was going on, appeared sud- 
denly in the- midst of these murderous cowards and cried — 'Oh, 
what will become of my Indians?' He asked for Proctor, and win- 
he did not sto]:) this inhuman massacre. 'Sir,' said Proctor, 'your 
Indians cannot be commanded.' To which Tecumseh replied in a 
loud tone — 'Begone, you are unfit to command, do and ])Ut on 
petticoats.' " 

In this massacre there were butchered hundreds of brave men, 
many of them were buried along the lini' of a trail extending from 
Battery Hill to l-'ort Miami, a distance of nearly two miles. Colonel 
Dudlev's men were all Kentuckians, and the peoi)le of the l^rdted 
States, the citizens of Ohio, and the jiatriots of the great State of 
Kentucky owe to the memory of these fallen heroes, who sacrificed 



95 



^ 



■s^^iP^''iW 



f 



JkMtak.<li 



THE MAUMEE RIVER AND VALLEY. 
A view taken from British Point, Ataumee City. The head of navigation and the fool of the rapids. 



96 




THE MAUMEE RIVER AND VALLEY 

A view taken from British Point, opposite For. Meigs. From this site the British, under 
General Proctor, stationed their guns during the siege of Fort Meigs, 1S1.<. 



97 



their lives that we, and the future gfenerations, may enjoy a eountry 
so grand and rieh as America, monuments that will last for all time 
to come. Their g"raves to-day are scattered and unmarked on the 
hanks of the Mainnee. 

No greater spcjt in the v'alley is more appropriate and befitting 
the memory of these pioneer soldiers than the old court house and 
its immediate surroundings. It is hoped that success may crown 
the efforts of the Daughters of the Revolution, and the members of 
the ]\Iaumee Valley Pioneer and Historical Association, in their 
work to secure this site for permanent headquarters, and to estab- 
lish a historical museum within its walls. They should not want 
for means to carry out this noble project. 

This, then, is the condensed history of the Maumee Valley, and 
the readers will agree after perusing these pages, and visiting the 
old forts and battle grounds, listening to the ripple of the waters at 
the many rapids, viewing the ever changing scenery along the 
valley, that there is no greater historical spot in America. 

From the windows of the cars of the Toledo and Maumee \'alley 
Electric Railway, which follows the banks of this historic river, can 
be seen Fort Industry, (corner of Summit and Monroe streets, 
Toledo); Fort ISIiami ; the old Maumee Court House; Colonel Dud- 
ley's battle field; Prcs(iue Hill and Turkey Foot Rock, Wayne's 
battle ground of P\'illcn Timbers; and the most ])ronunent of all 
land marks, of the early days, Fort Meigs, from whose well 
preserved embankments there presents to the eye a scene of 
unequalled beauty and surprising grandeur, which must be seen to 
be appreciated. 

There is a charm, a fascination, a somethiug tliat awakens the 
true patriotism of an American, lingering in the \allcy, not defined 
by any other of nature's realms. 



98 




THE OLD MAUMEE COURT HOUSE. The siie of Col. Dudley's Defeat.) 
NcBCia.ions are now pending for .he purchase of .his historic land-mark and '--f--'"^ ;';"'; iJ:! ;.',tvT, 
Valley Memorial Hall," for .he collection of relics and articles pertaining to the early h.s.o^ of ,hc ^ «'^ • ' 
wm be under the management of the Daughters of the Revolution .nd The Maumee Valley P.oneer and H.stor- 
ical Association. 



L.cfC. 



99 



Out from the buried past come a thousand pleadings from the 
dead heroes whose frraves are scattered over the valley asking for 
that recognition due their memory from a patriotic, home loving 
people. 




THE STAGE COACH 

Used between Toledo, Cleveland and Buffalo, in the early part of the Nineteenth Century. Time, between 
Toledo and Buffalo, about sixteen days. 



100 




"THE TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED," 
Of .he Lak. Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, making .he remarkable .ime. from Toledo .o Buffalo, in six hours. 



101 



c^FP 18 1902 



17 1902 



UOAT.D'.V, 

1902 



n iJ02 



' nhtu: Hits 111 h'll 



llililiii 






LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 574 444 




